Lando Norris acknowledged that the competition is tightening around McLaren as the team prepares for the F1 Italian GP at Monza. Although Norris led the standings during Friday’s sessions, he admitted that rival teams are much closer this weekend compared to recent races. After strong performances on medium- and high-downforce circuits like Hungary and Zandvoort, McLaren’s dominance is being challenged.
McLaren’s advantage usually shines in these types of races, but Monza presents different conditions. With the rear wing set almost flat to maximize top speed, the key factor becomes which cars can maintain efficiency on the straights. Norris said competitors such as Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes have brought upgrades that appear quite effective here, as reflected by the tight time gaps in free practice.
Though Norris topped the second practice session, his lead was less than a tenth of a second ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, the home favorite. Speaking about the day’s performance, Norris commented,
“Ish. Normally by this point we have like a one-second gap on everyone! But at the moment it looks just a bit close for my liking at the minute. Not bad, I feel like there’s some small things to improve for us to still be P1. I thought it was good that we improved some stuff from FP1 to FP2. It’s just a bit close, so I just need to try and make the gap a bit bigger so a little bit more comfortable.” —Lando Norris, McLaren driver
Monza’s Low Downforce Challenge Contrasts With Previous Races
Norris noted that Monza’s setup demands contrast sharply with the high-downforce conditions where McLaren has thrived recently. He described this shift as significant, highlighting how the strengths McLaren showed at Zandvoort and similar circuits do not carry over to Monza’s unique layout and aerodynamic requirements.
He said,
“Still trickier than what I would like. This is the complete opposite downforce level to Zandvoort, [in] Zandvoort where we were just easily quickest and it felt pretty amazing. Here’s quite the opposite, so [it’s] not a surprise. It’s probably what we were expecting, that kind of thing, but I definitely think we don’t perform quite to the same level in these kind of low downforce conditions as we do when we’re at a high downforce.” —Lando Norris, McLaren driver
Coming into Monza, Norris is focused on bouncing back following a difficult DNF in the previous race at Zandvoort. Currently trailing teammate Oscar Piastri by 34 points in the championship, Norris views a strong showing this weekend as vital to keeping his title hopes alive.
Outlook for the Italian Grand Prix and Beyond
The Italian GP at Monza highlights the challenges McLaren faces outside its accustomed strengths, with rivals narrowing the performance gap. Norris and his team will need to optimize small improvements to defend their position as the field grows more competitive. With Ferrari and Red Bull exhibiting promising pace, Norris’s ability to find extra speed on the straights could be crucial for securing a lead.
The performance here could set the tone for the remainder of the season, as the battle for the championship tightens and every fraction of a second becomes decisive. Norris’s comments reflect the need to adapt quickly to different circuit demands to maintain McLaren’s recent momentum amidst fierce competition.
