Norris cites hard lessons from McLaren's failed title defence

Lando Norris has said the biggest lesson from McLaren's failed 2026 title defence is that nothing comes easy. Kimi Antonelli succeeded him as world champion, and McLaren lost the constructors' title to Mercedes in the first year of the new technical regulations. Norris said he took wins in Hungary, the Netherlands and Sao Paulo, but was denied a clear victory in Spain by an unluckily timed virtual safety car.

McLaren had been vying with Red Bull for at least third place over the season, with Mercedes and Ferrari a step ahead. McLaren and Red Bull had continued developing their 2025 cars, while Mercedes and Ferrari abandoned those projects earlier to focus on the new regulations. Norris said a championship offers no guarantee of future success, as every year is a complete reset.

Despite the outcome, Norris insisted 2026 was not a negative season for McLaren, arguing that the scale of the regulation change meant the team should view the year as a successful upturn in results.