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Lando Norris Issues Harsh Verdict After Monza Setback
Highlights
- Kimi Antonelli won at Monza, first Italian winner in 60 years
- Mercedes secured a one-two finish with Antonelli and Russell
- Norris and Piastri finished fourth and fifth for McLaren
- McLaren struggled with car stability and pace versus Mercedes
- Norris said fourth and fifth were best achievable results
- McLaren to focus on improvements before Spanish Grand Prix
Lando Norris admits Monza exposes McLaren’s deficit, as Mercedes seals a decisive one-two led by Kimi Antonelli ahead of George Russell. Max Verstappen takes third, with Norris fourth and Oscar Piastri fifth.
Norris arrives off pre-break victories, yet the Italian weekend halts momentum. The outcome underlines Mercedes’ advantage, as reflected in the Monza results and race pace profiles.
“Mercedes are still in a league of their own,” says Norris. “We were not even close to fighting for a top two.” The tone is pragmatic, not fatalistic, about McLaren’s current ceiling.
Qualifying sets the template. McLaren never looks in the pole fight, while surprise polesitter Pierre Gasly reshapes the grid. Norris highlights instability and weaknesses in slow and medium-speed corners.
“Our pace was just dreadful,” says Norris, noting the car’s reliance on a slipstream at Monza.
Clean air proves costly. Without a tow, McLaren bleeds lap time to the leaders and even risks track position. Norris’ post-race assessment follows a weekend of recalibrated expectations, echoing his Norris U-turn narrative.
Kimi Antonelli becomes the first Italian in 60 years to win at Monza.
Mercedes executes with a low-drag package that still offers corner-entry stability and traction. That blend proves decisive, complementing Antonelli’s assured drive and landmark victory at home.
For McLaren, fourth and fifth represent maximum damage limitation. Norris points to stability and slower-corner performance as priority areas before the next upgrade window.
McLaren’s ceiling at Monza was P4 and P5, Norris admits.
The result keeps Norris in contention but tilts momentum toward Mercedes. The Italian weekend highlights aero efficiency differences despite a shared power unit supplier.
Attention now turns to Spain in mid-September. McLaren targets improved stability, more efficient downforce, and better performance in non-tow conditions, after a qualifying deficit detailed in their qualifying performance and reinforced by the Antonelli storyline at Monza.
Visual Summary
Antonelli 🇮🇹
Russell
GAP
Norris
Piastri
🥇
Home hero Kimi Antonelli wins Monza’s first Italian GP in 60 years for Mercedes!
🟧
Norris & Piastri: Outpaced, outgripped, out of reach — McLaren stuck in the shadows, 4th & 5th.
“Mercedes are still in a league of their own.” – Lando Norris
3
Verstappen
1
Antonelli
2
Russell
4
Norris
5
Piastri
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
