F1 / NEWS & CONTEXT

Stella estimates lap-time cost of Norris’s straight-line deficit

McLaren’s Andrea Stella estimates that Norris’s straight-line deficit could cost more than a tenth of a second per lap, but says its cause remains unclear.

GPBeat · Newsroom03 Oct 2026, 15:03 · 2 min

Norris finished qualifying on Saturday in sixth place, one position ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri. Speaking to media including RacingNews365, he said he felt his lap was strong but was losing speed on every straight, even after a good corner exit. Seeing that happen repeatedly, he said, “hurts”.

Norris acknowledged that drivers can usually find a little more time, but said he felt he should have qualified higher because McLaren was not getting everything it needed from the car. He expects that difficulty to continue into Sunday’s race.

Update

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says Lando Norris’s recurring straight-line speed deficit could be costing him more than a tenth of a second per lap, possibly between one and two tenths. He estimated that Norris’s car reaches a top speed roughly 1–2 km/h lower under otherwise comparable conditions and accelerates slightly less in sections where power is decisive.

Norris said he was losing speed by the end of each straight even after a good corner exit. Autosport reports that he had a similar additional deficit during the preceding Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.

Stella said the cause remains open. He cautioned against blaming the Mercedes power unit, pointing to chassis-related factors and drag as other possible explanations. McLaren has not eliminated the deficit over the past two events.

McLaren is examining further changes, Stella said, but cannot make them until Singapore.

Sources 02

SOURCELando Norris voices 'hurt' over major McLaren weakness in MalaysiaRacingNews365 English · Source date as found: 2026-10-03
SOURCEMcLaren explains recurring Norris straightline speed issue after Bahrain GP qualifyingAutosport · Source date as found: 2026-10-03

Source context

Source: RacingNews365’s coverage of Norris speaking to media after qualifying in Malaysia.

Claims and supporting evidence 8

RacingNews365 reports that Lando Norris qualified sixth, one position ahead of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Qualifying result in Malaysia Saturday, 3 October 2026 This result is reported by the one retrieved article; its linked results page was not read.

[1]

Speaking to media including RacingNews365, Norris said he felt his lap was strong but was losing speed on every straight. He said seeing that happen repeatedly hurt. This is his assessment, not a measured diagnosis of the car.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Norris's assessment of his qualifying performance After qualifying on 3 October 2026 The article supplies Norris's remarks but no telemetry or established technical cause.

[1]

Norris said he believed McLaren was not getting everything it needed from the car and expected the difficulty to affect the following day. This is a prospective assessment, not a race result.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Norris's outlook for the race After qualifying on 3 October 2026, concerning the following day The supplied article predates the race and cannot establish whether his expectation came true.

[1]

Autosport’s qualifying display places Lando Norris sixth and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri seventh.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Qualifying result for the Bahrain GP in Malaysia 2026-10-03 qualifying The displayed gaps are qualifying gaps, not measurements of the straight-line speed issue.

[2]

Norris said he was slower at the end of each straight even after a good corner exit. Autosport reports a similar additional deficit during the preceding Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Norris’s account of the problem Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend and 2026-10-03 qualifying in Malaysia Norris’s description is his account; Autosport does not provide raw speed data for either event.

[2]

According to Autosport’s account of McLaren team principal Andrea Stella’s comments, Norris’s car accelerates slightly less in power-limited sections and reaches a slightly lower top speed under otherwise comparable conditions. Stella estimated the difference at roughly 1–2 km/h and the lap-time cost at more than 0.1 seconds, possibly 0.1–0.2 seconds per lap.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. McLaren’s characterization and estimate 2026-10-03 qualifying in Malaysia The speed and lap-time figures are Stella’s assessment, not independently verified measurements in the supplied document.

[2]

Stella said the straight-line deficit had not been removed over two events, but its cause remained open. He explicitly declined to identify the Mercedes power unit as the cause and also mentioned chassis-side parameters and drag.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Diagnosis and responsibility After 2026-10-03 qualifying The report identifies a reported performance deficit, not a diagnosed mechanical failure.

[2]

Stella said McLaren was examining possible parameters and could make further changes only for Singapore. He did not claim that those changes would fix the issue.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Possible next intervention After 2026-10-03 qualifying; prospective Singapore event This is a stated plan, not an implemented or successful remedy.

[2]

Corrections and updates to this story

04 Oct 2026, 20:06

Correctie: de eerdere waarschuwing over een tegenstrijdige locatie was onjuist. De Grand Prix van Bahrein vond plaats op Sepang in Maleisië, zoals Formula 1 en Autosport vermelden. / Correction: the earlier venue-inconsistency warning was incorrect. The Bahrain Grand Prix took place at Sepang in Malaysia, as Formula 1 and Autosport report.

03 Oct 2026, 15:03

Updated with a material new development verified through a separate News Made Clear newsroom run.

This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.