Norris: McLaren F1 constructors fight with Ferrari getting "tense"
McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris has admitted the fight with Ferrari for third in the constructors' championship behind Mercedes and Red Bull is getting "tense".


With five races remaining, there are just 3.5 points separating the two teams.
But with Ferrari making good performance gains in recent races following the introduction of an upgraded engine, McLaren knows that it is facing a big challenge to hold on to its position.
Norris insists that McLaren is not downbeat about its prospects, but is well aware of just how difficult a task it faces now in ensuring it delivers what is needed to hold on.
“We are motivated, we're working hard but I think it's tough,” he said ahead of this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix.
“It's hard to know where you're going to be every weekend because it's always generally been very close, even since the beginning of the season.
“It's not like we've run away with it at any point. It's been close since the beginning of the season, but it's tense.
“We're working hard, everyone back in the factory is working hard to try and find these last little things we need for the rest of the season.

Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
“But Ferrari are strong, you've got to give it to them. They've come on very strong in the second half of the season and especially the last few weekends.
“So we're putting up a fight, and we can definitely bring it to them to the end. That's the plan.”
Norris says the varying strengths of the two cars – with McLaren better in high-speed corners while Ferrari excels in the slower-speed turns – has kept things close between the two squads all season.
But he is under no illusions that Ferrari’s prospects have been lifted by the recent power boost from its engine, which had been a weakness previously.
“Sometimes different parts of the track will suit us and different parts of the track suit them, and I think that's why we are always quite evenly matched,” added Norris.
“Then you have some tracks which are just more suited to Ferrari, like Baku was with the slow speed or Monaco as well.
“So I think we both have quite evidently our strengths and weaknesses. Of course Ferrari, one of their weaknesses is now not so much a weakness as well.
“So yeah, it's tough. But it's exciting and we'll keep working hard.”
Related video

Archive: When Davidson was "too successful" to land an F1 seat
Hamilton wants F1 title win "the right way", to avoid Senna/Prost clash

Latest news
Auer suffers back injury in Daytona 24 practice shunt
Mercedes driver Lucas Auer has suffered a back injury and been taken to hospital following a violent crash in opening practice for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
Daytona 24: WTR Acura tops heavily interrupted FP1
Five red flags disrupted the first practice session for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours, while Filipe Albuquerque put the Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura on top.
Pedrosa to make KTM MotoGP wildcard outing in Spanish GP
Dani Pedrosa will make his first MotoGP race start since the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix with a wildcard entry for KTM at this year’s Spanish GP in April.
House of Lords peer criticises "discourteous and unprofessional" Ben Sulayem
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been criticised by a House of Lords peer for being "deeply discourteous and unprofessional" in failing to reply to human rights concerns.
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 ‘holiday’ races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week and, although it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action
Why the new Williams boss shouldn’t avoid ‘Mercedes B-team’ comparisons
OPINION: Williams has moved to replace the departed Jost Capito by appointing former Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles as its new team principal. But while he has sought to play down the idea of moulding his new squad into a vision of his old one, some overlap is only to be expected and perhaps shouldn't be shied away from
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.