"Don't just say it's the car": Lando Norris pushes back at suggestions of McLaren's success being only down to the car 

Lando Norris believes McLaren’s success stems not just from a strong car but from having two evenly matched drivers pushing each other. Speaking in a post-race press conference after the 2025 Australian GP, the Brit emphasized that internal competition leads to stronger results.

Norris and Oscar Piastri are one of the most closely matched driver pairings on the grid, making them a dual threat to teams relying on a single lead driver. Comparing their dynamic to other teams, Norris felt that their ability to push each other ultimately benefits McLaren’s overall performance. He also credited the team for developing a strong car, believing there is still more potential to unlock.

Speaking about the team dynamic that makes McLaren competitive, Lando Norris said:

“We have two drivers up there pushing each other – that helps. Do I think me and Oscar working together yesterday in terms of pushing one another allowed us to get one-and-a-half/one-tenth more than the two drivers here because their team-mates aren't as equipped and as experienced? Yes. Add that into the equation as well – don't just say it's the car. The team has done an amazing job. I thank them for everything they're doing. We know we can make it a lot better still.”

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Lando Norris reckons McLaren is the title favorite and benchmark in 2025

After winning the season opener at Albert Park, Lando Norris believes McLaren are the team to beat in 2025. He felt that their dominant performance in a chaotic Australian GP solidified their status as title favorites.

Norris sees even more potential to unlock from McLaren’s 2025 challenger and credited the team’s development efforts for their strong start. However, he admitted that if the season had opened in Bahrain, their victory might not have come as easily as it did in Melbourne.

Speaking about being the title favorites in the 2025 season, Lando Norris said:

“We're the favourites, we are the team to beat. I mean, to start the season off like this, to start it off with a win is good enough, but to do it in such a stressful race, one where it's so easy to make a mistake, so easy to ruin everything so quickly - it can all have gone wrong within a second, any second of the race.

“We know we have a lot of work to do on this year's car still. I think if you do relax in that position, you failed because in Formula 1 if you start thinking things are good and groovy that's when you start to get caught. We know we have a lot of work to do. I do think we're favourites because the team has done an amazing job. If we started off in Bahrain, I don't think we would have won the race.”

McLaren has kicked off the 2025 season leading the Constructors’ Championship with 27 points. Lando Norris currently tops the Drivers’ Championship with 25 points. McLaren and Mercedes are tied at 27 points, while Red Bull trails at 18. With 23 races still to go and a tightly-packed grid, the title battle is likely to shift as the season progresses.