Lando Norris rejected Mercedes’ claim that McLaren has the fastest car, arguing that his recent victories are also the result of extracting more from the MCL40.

Lando Norris has pushed back against Mercedes’ assessment of the Formula 1 pecking order, arguing that McLaren’s recent victories are not simply the result of having the fastest car.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell both described McLaren as the team to beat after the Dutch Grand Prix, but Norris believes his own performance has played a major role in allowing the MCL40 to consistently fight at the front.

The reigning world champion has now won the last two Grands Prix in Hungary and Zandvoort, starting both from pole position.

Norris believes his driving is making the difference

Mercedes dominated the opening phase of the 2026 season, winning the first six races from pole. McLaren and Ferrari have since closed the gap with major upgrades.

Antonelli, who finished second at Zandvoort, said Mercedes was clearly behind McLaren. Russell agreed after taking third.

Lando Norris won at Zandvoort after starting from pole and holding off Mercedes during the race.

Norris does not completely agree with that assessment.

The McLaren driver argued that if he had not made the decisive move on Antonelli when he did, he would not have won the Dutch Grand Prix.

He also admitted that he rarely gives himself much credit, making his comments particularly notable.

Norris believes he is currently doing a better job than the rest of the field and that this is helping McLaren appear stronger than it might be on pure car performance.

Mercedes may still have the better all-round car

Norris does not claim that McLaren is definitively the strongest car in every situation.

Instead, he believes Mercedes has a more complete package across different track conditions, while McLaren has a more specific advantage in certain types of corners.

Norris says McLaren is particularly strong through high-speed corners, while Mercedes remains more competitive across a wider range of conditions.

At Zandvoort, Norris highlighted Turns 7 and 8 as areas where McLaren gained significant performance.

That makes circuit characteristics particularly important when comparing the two teams.

According to Norris, McLaren may not be the strongest everywhere, but his ability to maximize the car can close that difference.

Qualifying performances reinforce Norris’ argument

The comparison with Oscar Piastri is another reason Norris believes his own driving is contributing significantly to McLaren’s recent success.

Piastri finished sixth at Zandvoort and sits seventh in the championship, while Norris is fourth.

Lando Norris has built a significant qualifying advantage over McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in 2026.

Norris currently leads Piastri 13-4 in qualifying, including Sprint qualifying sessions.

That gap has become an important reference point for Norris because it suggests that the MCL40’s performance is not the only factor determining McLaren’s results.

He also pointed to Saturday’s Sprint as evidence. Russell dominated from pole, while Norris had to fight to hold off Antonelli for third.

Instead of making major changes to the car overnight, Norris said he focused heavily on improving his driving.

Norris says he turned the weekend around himself

The McLaren driver believes his work between the Sprint and the Grand Prix was critical.

He said he worked extensively on his driving and regained confidence after a less successful Sprint result.

That confidence allowed him to maximize the car when it mattered most and ultimately convert pole position into victory.

For Lando Norris McLaren, the message is clear: the MCL40 is extremely competitive, but Norris believes his ability to extract the final performance is a major reason the team has won the last two races.

Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari should have used team orders at Zandvoort, arguing that Charles Leclerc cost him valuable time during the Dutch Grand Prix.

Hamilton wanted Ferrari to act

Hamilton moved up to fifth after overtaking Oscar Piastri on lap 35. He then found himself behind a slower Leclerc, which prevented him from maintaining his progress.

Lewis Hamilton became frustrated after getting stuck behind Charles Leclerc during the Dutch Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver eventually complained over the radio, sarcastically criticizing the amount of time being lost.

Leclerc remained ahead until he made his pit stop on lap 43, finally freeing Hamilton to continue his recovery.

Hamilton later compared Ferrari’s approach with Mercedes, which instructed George Russell to give second place to Kimi Antonelli with seven laps remaining.

Mercedes’ decision influenced Hamilton’s frustration

Mercedes made the decision because Antonelli had significantly fresher tires and could potentially challenge Lando Norris for the lead.

Although Norris ultimately won, both Mercedes drivers accepted the decision and finished second and third.

Hamilton pointed to Mercedes’ decision to swap Russell and Antonelli as an example of more effective team management.

Hamilton believes Ferrari could have acted similarly when Leclerc was slowing his progress.

He said he wants to win and finds it difficult when he sees another team making an immediate strategic decision while Ferrari does not react in the same way.

Hamilton also said he intends to discuss the matter with Ferrari when he returns to the team.

Lost time behind Leclerc hurt Hamilton’s podium hopes

Hamilton eventually had a chance to fight Russell for third place, but a late Virtual Safety Car made the opportunity even harder.

The British driver said he was getting close to the Mercedes when the VSC was deployed on lap 70.

Hamilton believes the time lost behind Leclerc ultimately reduced his chances of challenging Russell for the final podium position.

He also pointed to Ferrari’s lack of straight-line speed.

Hamilton estimated Ferrari was losing around four tenths of a second per lap on the straights compared with Mercedes and McLaren.

That made overtaking particularly difficult and increased the importance of avoiding traffic.

Hamilton wants more engine performance from Ferrari

Despite his criticism, Hamilton praised Ferrari for bringing an upgrade to Zandvoort.

The seven-time world champion believes the team is moving closer to Mercedes, but he also thinks Ferrari must address its power deficit.

Hamilton praised Ferrari’s latest upgrade but believes the team still needs more engine performance to challenge Mercedes.

According to Hamilton, Ferrari has spent much of the season giving away performance on the straights.

He believes finding additional engine power is essential if Ferrari wants to close the gap and fight Mercedes consistently.

For Lewis Hamilton Ferrari, Zandvoort therefore produced a mixed result. The fourth-place finish was solid, but Hamilton believes Ferrari’s handling of team orders and its remaining power deficit prevented an even stronger result.

Franco Colapinto criticized the FIA stewards after a drive-through penalty ruined his Dutch Grand Prix, calling the decision excessively harsh.

Franco Colapinto left the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix frustrated after a promising start at Zandvoort was undone by a drive-through penalty.

The Alpine driver briefly moved into the top 10 during a chaotic opening lap, but he was penalized for overtaking under yellow flags. A later 10-second penalty made the situation even worse, leaving him 14th at the finish.

Colapinto questions the drive-through penalty

The first penalty came after Max Verstappen crashed at the final corner, leaving debris across the circuit and creating difficult conditions.

The track was wet, visibility was complicated, and Colapinto passed Yuki Tsunoda while completing an overtaking move.

Franco Colapinto was penalized for overtaking under double yellow flags during a chaotic opening lap at Zandvoort.

The stewards determined that Colapinto had overtaken under double yellow flags and issued a drive-through penalty.

However, Colapinto argued that the circumstances made the situation extremely difficult to judge from inside the car.

He said the penalty effectively destroyed what had been a strong opening to the race.

Colapinto says braking could have been more dangerous

The Alpine driver believes the timing of the yellow flag was crucial.

According to Colapinto, the warning appeared very late while he was already completing the overtaking maneuver on a wet track.

Colapinto argued that sudden braking on the wet track could have created an even more dangerous situation.

He said abruptly hitting the brakes or accelerating sharply in the middle of the straight could have created additional risks, particularly because several cars were already struggling for grip.

Colapinto believes the rules should allow stewards to consider the specific circumstances rather than applying them rigidly in every situation.

His argument was that safety should remain the priority when conditions deteriorate rapidly.

The Alpine driver calls the decision too harsh

When asked whether the stewards had been too strict, Colapinto gave a direct answer.

He said the stewards had been “extremely harsh” in this particular situation.

Colapinto believes the FIA stewards should have considered the difficult conditions before issuing such a severe penalty.

The Argentine acknowledged that applying the rules is part of the stewards’ responsibility, but argued that they must also use judgment when track conditions are exceptionally difficult.

He particularly questioned the severity of the punishment.

A drive-through penalty can cost a driver a significant amount of time and effectively eliminate any chance of fighting for points.

Colapinto believes the punishment was excessive

The weekend therefore ended with a frustrating result for Colapinto.

The Alpine driver believes he had the opportunity to fight for a better position after making a strong start, but the penalty prevented him from converting that pace into a meaningful result.

For Franco Colapinto FIA, the Zandvoort controversy highlights his belief that stewards should have more flexibility when incidents occur during the opening lap and under rapidly changing conditions.