Lando Norris Calls for McLaren Improvement After P5 in Australia

Lando Norris sounds alarm on McLaren's F1 Car

Lando Norris says McLaren must 'improve in all areas' after fifth-place finish in Australian GP, 51s off George Russell's win.

Lando Norris says latest F1 cars are 'probably the worst' after McLaren's struggles in Melbourne...

Lando Norris admitted McLaren needs to “improve in all areas” after a disappointing start to the season in Australia, where he finished fifth, 51 seconds behind winner George Russell. Norris said they've made some progress since Melbourne but still have a lot of work to do.

McLaren struggled with pace and tyre management in Australia, and Norris emphasized that it's not just about the power unit, but the entire car needs improvement. He's optimistic about closing the gap but acknowledges they're playing catch-up.

Lando Norris had a tough time with the latest F1 cars, calling them "probably the worst" the sport has produced, but he's sounding more positive ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. The defending champion is hoping McLaren can turn things around this weekend in Shanghai, after a disappointing fifth-place finish in Australia.

Norris has been vocal about the challenges of adapting to the new 50-50 power split, but he's focusing on finding solutions. He's worked closely with Mercedes, McLaren's engine supplier, to improve their understanding of the power unit and is optimistic about closing the gap.

“It should be a little bit more simple and therefore we expect to be a bit closer,” he told reporters.

“Even if we were to go back to Melbourne now, though, I think we would expect to be closer anyway from what we've understood and been able to learn and figure out.

“But at the same time we also know we have to improve in all areas, it's not just power unit, it's the car itself.

“It's decent, we're in a good starting position, but we still want it to be better than what it is currently.”

Oscar Piastri's Australian Grand Prix ended in disaster when he crashed on the way to the grid at Turn 4, hitting the kerb and spinning into the concrete barriers. This left him unable to start the race, despite qualifying fifth fastest.

🚨| Lando Norris points to long-term problem McLaren must fix:

— Lando Norris emphasized the need for McLaren to address its persistent tyre graining issues following a challenging performance at the Australian GP. Speaking to media, Norris remarked:

“With the following and… pic.twitter.com/kd8HjVzbFs

— This is Formula 1 (@ThisIsFormu1a1) March 11, 2026

Piastri's teammate Lando Norris fared better, finishing fifth, 51 seconds behind winner George Russell. Norris admitted McLaren needs to “improve in all areas” after a disappointing start to the season.

“It's certainly not going to be my favourite moment of my career, but I think I still tried to learn as much as I can from the race,” he said in Shanghai, where he won the grand prix last year.

“There's definitely positives to take in amongst last weekend, but I think back to the start of last year, I'm only two points worse off even though it's a lot more embarrassing.”