Lando Norris (McLaren) in Brazil: “I really didn’t expect that”

McLaren ace Lando Norris had not been on the podium since the Spanish Grand Prix at the Madrid circuit almost two months ago: in Madrid, the Englishman finished third, behind Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen, even though he arguably had the fastest car. Back then, Norris was unlucky due to a safety car period that came at a bad time for him.

Since then: a collision in Baku, P9 at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, fourth in Singapore, fifth in Texas and Mexico. In Brazil, McLaren is now the only team to have arrived with upgrades – and not just a few: front wing, rear wing, additional wing above the gearbox, underbody – all new.

With the front wing, McLaren wants to find out in Brazil whether the direction they’re taking for 2027 is the right one. The rear wing has been designed specifically for this circuit.

Lando Norris set the fastest time with it in the first practice session; in the second 60-minute practice session, he was second fastest behind his successor as world champion, Kimi Antonelli.

Norris, a 13-time Grand Prix winner, assesses McLaren’s Evo package and the Papaya team’s prospects of success in São Paulo as follows: “It’s still a bit difficult to say exactly how much the new package will deliver. The aim of the improvements is to make the race car faster. That doesn’t automatically mean the car will be easier to drive.”

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“In an ideal world, I’d like a car that’s faster thanks to the Evo parts and also handles better. That would be particularly good for us, because the 2026 McLaren isn’t an easy car to drive.”

“As an interim assessment, I’d say we’re taking small steps in the right direction, particularly in terms of handling becoming a little more predictable. But this is just a snapshot after two practice sessions here in Brazil. We’ll have to see how things go as the weekend progresses and then also how the parts perform on other circuits.”

“To be honest: I really didn’t expect to be fastest in the first practice session – that was a pleasant surprise. I found the second practice session a bit more difficult. But we’re holding our own there – with the exception of Mercedes, who are slightly ahead of us.”