Lando Norris explains why McLaren has the best driver setting in Formula One and is stronger than Ferrari

Lando Norris believes that the way he and teammate Oscar Piastra “pushes each other” means that McLaren has the strongest driver’s setting on Formula 1 network.

Norris and Piastra won in the introductory two F1 2025 races and were set for a seasonal title battle in their third campaign as teammates in McLaren.

Although none won the driver championship, unlike Red Bull Max Verstappen or Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Norris wanted to present the quality of McLaren’s driver’s association in front of the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.

“I am convinced in every track when we are strong. But we have seen in the last week and a half, other people say they don’t think we’re so far away,” said the current championship leader.

“As much as Max could say things, his last stay in China was very strong, it’s still not as good as we do, but it was much more competitive. I saw Fred Vassur said Ferrari should compete against us, and much more there, they beat us in the sprint and they qualified in front of us.

“We are not so far ahead of them. People like to say that, I mean, because we are literally the only team that has two good drivers in an instant. It’s a big difference.

“If one of us did a lot worse, or one of us was not as strong, as Oscar was another in Chinese sprint and I was already eighth, but you would have had it much more often, as you do with Ferrari, or as you do with Red Bull. Max is up there and the other driver is a lot further back.

“Only the fact that we have two good drivers honestly makes the biggest difference, because in certain cases I don’t think we necessarily had the fastest car, whether it was a sprint in China or qualifying or racing, but the fact that we only have two good drivers pushing each other makes a bigger difference than people expect.”

McLaren and Aston Martin were the only teams to retain their driving band from 2024 to this season as half of the network changed.

Norris thinks the time takes the driver to adapt to the new team, including Hamilton, McLaren gives an advantage.

“Ferrari is one experience in the F1 because we are missing in that department. (We) we only have two drivers who understand the team, who have been on the team for a long time,” he added when he asked to further explain our comments.

“Lewis is new to Ferrari. Openly says that he still learns how to use the steering complexity. Will every last part of it get him out of the car, compared to what I and Oscar can do, he openly admits it.

“So it’s not that I think I’m much better than Lewis or Charles, because I don’t know that, and I was always the first to admit it. I would never put myself on any pedestal.

“But as we work as a team, I think it’s better than any other team. As we push each other and pull out more like two drivers, I agree that we are better than any other team, so I think that is our advantage.”

Norris: I’m ready for a title this year

Norris is eight points ahead of Verstappen after two events, nine points ahead of George Russell and 10 points that were clear of teammates Piastra.

The 25-year-old said earlier that he and McLaren were not ready to win the title of driver last season, but he thinks this year is “different” because Verstappen did not build an early championship lead.

“Just being in a situation I was last year, I was in that constant deficit of 40-50 points, 60 points, which was lost at the beginning, it is simply very difficult to get back from it,” he said.

“Although we had the best car on certain races and Max fought, he still never had a bad result. He did a very good job and easily deserved it last year, but shows that as soon as the car is a little better, as is the case, what the difference is.

“As soon as they have a little fight, as we sometimes had last year, how much more are you worse, everything is only relatively relatively in a certain way.

“Not only do I think we have improved the car a lot and now we have the best car, but I am between Oscar and me, we both improved a lot of ride.

“I also feel like I am more ready for any situation, whether it is racing against Max or Oscar or Lewis or Charles. I feel like I’m more willing to know at which level I need to be, whether it will be a risky level or not risky, there are only different situations on the way, but I feel a lot more ready this year.

Piastra don’t look at the championship rankings

After spinning at the Australian Grand Prix that opened the season, Piastra got 13 points in China last time in China to get into Norris with only 10 points that entered this weekend.

Piastra says he was not concerned about losing so many points in the first race.

“You never want to give any advantage, whether it’s time or points. You never want to give it if you don’t have to. Of course, I want to try and turn that gap we have,” he said.

“But with 22 races, it would be a pretty stressful year if you are already taking care of that junction. For me, I’m just trying to make sure I get the best I can every weekend. I feel like the first two weekends of the year have been good examples of it and think if you do, then points will be naturally worried about yourself.

Verstappen won the races last year, where it seemed that Red Bull had no fastest car, which he alluded to Piastra to be crucial in the title Battle of McLaren.

“The first six races are just as important as the last six. But obviously the last six you get a much better picture where everyone is sitting and such things,” he added.

“I had a lot of championships where you look at the gaps and where you lost points and such things. You usually don’t really look at where they came in the year. You just look at the fact that you had points you lost at some point through the season, so it doesn’t really matter to me when it happens.

“I think even in that situation later in the year, you are always trying to maximize what you have every weekend. As much as we say that” Max won the championship at the beginning of last season, “he also hung and did not lose any points for Land, or anyone at the end of the season when he didn’t have the strongest car.

Sky Sports F1 live Japanese general schedule

Friday 4th. April

• 3:00: Japanese Medical Practice One (session starts at 3.30am)*
• 5.30 pm: A press conference of the Director of the Tim Director
• 6.45am: Japanese GP Exercise Two (session starts at 7 o’clock)*
• 8.15am: F1 Show*

Saturday 5th. April

• 3.15am: Japanese medical practice three (session starts at 3.30am)*
• 6:00: Japanese GP qualifying buildup*
• 7:00: Japanese GP qualification*
• 9:00: TED -O’s qualifying notebook*

Sunday 6 April

• 4.30 hours: Japanese GP Building-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
• 6:00: Japanese Grand Prix*
• 8:00: Japanese reaction GP -a: Plated flag*
• 9:00: Ted’s notebook*

*Also live at the main event Sky Sports

The formula is this weekend in the Suzuk iconic circle for the Japanese Grand Prix, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – No Treaty, cancel anytime