Lando Norris issues damning McLaren verdict amid F1 struggles

Lando Norris has delivered a harsh reality check for McLaren after its Formula 1 struggles continued at the United States Grand Prix. 

Reigning world champion Norris finished a distant fifth in Austin, 30 seconds behind race winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli as McLaren lacked the pace to fight for the victory. 

Norris ran as high as second as McLaren gambled on a one-stop strategy in the hope it could take advantage of a late safety car, but when that never came, the Briton dropped down the order in the closing stages. 

Fifth place was the best Norris could manage, two places ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.

McLaren introduced upgrades to its MCL40 challenger in the United States and while they worked as hoped, Norris admitted the Woking squad needs more.

“Yeah, I’m just hoping you put something on and it’s magical and you go a lot quicker and you’re fighting for a podium all of a sudden,” Norris told reporters in Austin. 

“Things are all working as they should, but you know, all the teams, Ferrari brought upgrades and all the teams are still bringing upgrades, so they’re delivering. 

“Just not, I guess, just not really in all the places that we need them to, like the slow speed corners, we’re just nowhere near at the level we need to be. 

"We need a lot more rear and slow speed. It’s been our issue for a long time now. It seems to be very hard to tackle.”

When asked if he felt McLaren now has the fourth-fastest car, Norris replied: “Yeah, I think it’s pretty obvious.”

It has been a challenging season for McLaren and Norris, who started the campaign on the back foot, before bouncing back with consecutive victories either side of the F1 summer break. 

But McLaren’s lack of performance has left Norris unable to launch a proper defence of the world title he won last year. 

Norris sits sixth in the drivers’ championship, while McLaren has slipped behind Red Bull to fourth in the constructors’ standings.