Lando Norris rarely praises his own performance. But after winning the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort last weekend, the McLaren driver admitted he is at his best level this season.
The victory was his second consecutive win after success in Hungary. This is a remarkable comeback given that the 2026 season started badly for the Woking-based team. They failed to finish several opening races, and Norris even recorded back-to-back DNFs in Canada and Monaco.
However, since the podium in Barcelona, Norris's performance has been on the rise. He added sprint podiums at Silverstone and Zandvoort, then two consecutive wins. This result led championship leader Kimi Antonelli to claim that McLaren now has the fastest car, leaving Mercedes' dominance in the first half of the season behind.
Norris responded humbly, though with a rare hint of confidence. "They're not going to say it themselves if they just got beaten today," he said. "So I don't think it's true. I think if I didn't get Kimi when I overtook him, I don't think I would have won the race today."
He then tried to evaluate what made the difference at Zandvoort, and tentatively admitted he believed it was himself. "You know, it's hard to say, but I also know how good a job I'm doing behind the wheel. And of course, I never want to overtalk about myself. I'm always the complete opposite. But for once, I would give myself a little bit of credit that I feel like I'm doing a better job than everyone," he added.
This admission marks a shift in mentality from the reigning champion who often criticised himself last season. He also acknowledged that although Mercedes still have the edge, they are now beatable, unlike earlier in the year. "We certainly have a car now capable of beating them. Even like we looked at yesterday in qualifying, but we didn't win yesterday," he concluded.
With two consecutive wins, Norris asserts that the world championship title is not just a dream. If this form continues, the battle towards the end of the season will be even hotter.
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