Norris Wins Dutch GP but Says McLaren 'Don't Have the Car' to Win Title

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands —

Lando Norris won the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, his second straight victory to open the second half of the Formula 1 season, but the McLaren driver said his car still isn't good enough to mount a serious title challenge, according to BBC Sport.

"I don't have the car I need to fight for a championship," Norris said after the race. "I know that's quite a big comment."

The win, following his first victory of the season last month in Hungary, moved Norris into title contention. He trails championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes by 83 points, BBC Sport reported. Antonelli's teammate George Russell is tied on points with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, 59 points behind Antonelli.

According to the FIA, the race was chaotic from the start. Home favorite Max Verstappen of Red Bull spun into the barriers at the final corner before completing a lap, ending his day and triggering a red flag. Antonelli passed Norris off the restart to take the lead, but Norris fought back, passing both Antonelli and Hamilton on lap 54 to retake first place. He held on through a late Virtual Safety Car period to win in 2 hours, 4 minutes and 44.859 seconds, with Antonelli 11.536 seconds behind and Russell completing the podium, the FIA said.

A Car That's Fast in Parts, Not Everywhere

Norris said McLaren's upgrades have made the car dominant in high-speed corners but weak at slower ones, unlike last year's car, which he described as strong everywhere.

"We're very, very strong in high speed, and that's the place we've improved the car the most," he said, according to BBC Sport. "But their advantage that they have to us in slow speed is also crazy."

He said that imbalance will likely hurt McLaren at the next two races, in Monza and Azerbaijan, both known for long straights and few high-speed corners where his car's strengths could offset its weaknesses.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the team could feel more confident about the rest of the season if it confirms its recent gains at Monza, BBC Sport reported.

Norris Points to Improved Driving

Stella said Norris is driving "at the level of a world champion" and has kept improving since a difficult start to the 2025 season, according to BBC Sport. Norris credited both his driving and how he communicates with his team for the turnaround, saying the work McLaren put in overnight before the race "transformed" the result.

Still, Norris downplayed talk of a title run, comparing his position to Verstappen's comeback against him last year that fell two points short. "One race at a time," he said. "There's no point thinking that far ahead."