Norris: McLaren’s upgrades worked, but team still short of title-fighting level

After winning in São Paulo, Lando Norris said McLaren’s weekend upgrades had worked as intended and moved the team forward, but McLaren remained short of the level needed to fight for the Formula 1 world championship.

Norris said McLaren had generally been a tenth or two behind the fastest cars in practice. He described the upgrades as a step forward, but said they did not make the team suddenly the quickest. He could not quantify exactly how much they had helped, although he believed McLaren would have been further behind without them.

Norris said he had a car capable of fighting for victory in São Paulo, while strategy, pit stops and avoiding mistakes also mattered in the difficult conditions. He said McLaren was not yet confident in its package; the team was making progress, but he wanted it to reach the required level faster.