Lando Norris: McLaren not “complacent” following second Red Bull defeat of 2025

Lando Norris has batted off suggestions McLaren are getting “complacent” following their second defeat to Red Bull in F1 2025.

Max Verstappen clinched his second victory of the 2025 F1 season, winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Verstappen controlled the race from the front after snatching the lead away from Oscar Piastri.

The four-time F1 world champion pulled off an impressive overtake on the outside of Piastri into Turn 1.

Verstappen opened up a three-second lead over Piastri before McLaren converted the F1 championship leader to a two-stop strategy.

With the Virtual Safety Car and Safety Car periods playing into Verstappen’s hands, he claimed a comfortable victory.

Norris capitalised on these caution periods to beat Piastri for the first time since Japan.

Reflecting on the race, Norris felt Red Bull simply had the superior package.

“Oscar put in a very good lap to get pole, [but] on average Max was quicker and it just turned out that this track, with the degradation of this track, therefore suited them,” Norris said.

“We had a bit more rear degradation rather than overheating and things like that, it was more just rear deg and that seems to be where the Red Bull is still very, very strong in these slow speed corners.

“We know that, we’ve said it the whole year. We aren’t getting complacent because we know how good they can be at times when things click and when they get it right, they’re ahead, and that’s the way it was today.

“We just have to keep working, nothing more to say than that. We need to keep our heads down, working on ourselves and keep doing what we’re doing.”

McLaren struggle with tyre degradation

The main strength of the MCL39 so far this season has been how it’s been able to look after its tyres.

However, this was a major weakness for Norris and Piastri relative to Verstappen on Sunday.

“Tough race, long race,” Norris explained. “[It] kind of goes away from you and then it comes back, just a bit of a race of patience today, which is always hard to prepare for, but I think we did a good job with the strategy going long in the first stint.

“I think the only downside is we didn’t have the pace to the Red Bull. They were very quick, Max was very quick today, and not only did we struggle on pace but I think we also struggled with the degradation of things too.

“What was our biggest strength two weekends ago turned into not being good enough this weekend, so it shows how quickly things can change. But I think we’re happy otherwise, it’s still a good team result and that’s the main thing.”

Norris sits 13 points behind Piastri ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.