Norris says McLaren's 2026 season is not a failure

Lando Norris has said that his biggest lesson from McLaren's failed 2026 title defence is that past achievements guarantee nothing in Formula 1. McLaren entered the year as back-to-back Constructors' Champions but has not been in contention to retain the crown at any stage. With three rounds remaining, Mercedes has already secured both titles, while McLaren sits 254 points behind in fourth.

Despite this, Norris, who has won three races this season including the previous round in Sao Paulo, insisted McLaren should not be seen as having failed. He pointed out that the team started well behind its rivals after major regulation changes, and that closing the gap should be regarded as success. He said that expecting a third consecutive title under such a large regulatory overhaul was already a very high bar.

Norris added that the team's position compared with the end of the ground effect era shows how quickly the landscape can change in F1. He said the main lesson was that nothing comes easy.