Lando Norris has proposed that he is in George Russell’s head should his rival believe his claim that McLaren boasts an unassailable advantage in Formula 1 in 2025.
The pre-season expectation that McLaren is the team to beat has been realised as the reigning champions have started the new campaign with consecutive victories.
Norris prevailed in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, a weekend which saw him pick up pole position with more than three tenths to the closest non-McLaren.
That prompted Russell to state that McLaren could switch attention to the extensive rules revamp coming in 2026 now and still land both championships this season.
Russell doubled down on that prior to the Chinese Grand Prix – where McLaren took a 1-2 – as he contended that its margin is greater than the one Red Bull harboured.
However, Russell suggested that McLaren’s drivers wouldn’t capitalise as well as Max Verstappen did when Red Bull won all but a single race during a dominant 2023.
Norris, though, has rubbished his compatriot’s recent assessment as an unsuccessful attempt to use mind games to heighten the pressure on both him and McLaren.
“Ha! What? A bigger advantage than the 2023 [Red Bull] that won everything? Right,” Norris laughed to The Telegraph when Russell’s comments were posed to him.
“I thought he [Russell] was a bit smarter than that, but clearly not. I don’t even need to say anything. I think it’s obvious enough that it’s not.”
Norris added: “George thinks he can play a lot of games but… I don’t fall for any of them.
“The car clearly is not [as strong as Red Bull in 2023]. It’s very good but the fact he’s been [saying] so much ‘the season’s over’ after one race is a bit weird.
“But he can do whatever he wants. I am happy he thinks those things.”
Norris in Russell’s head?
Norris admitted he would also welcome the circumstance where Russell’s concern is genuine, as he believes it would show that McLaren’s pace is getting to its rivals.
Pressed on whether the Mercedes driver’s words might get in his head, Norris retorted: “No. If anything, it seems the opposite.
“It seems like he’s done with [the season]. It seems like I am in his head, if he thinks they can’t catch up.”
Piastri downplays McLaren advantage
Oscar Piastri, victorious in Shanghai last weekend, branded Russell’s claim “far-fetched” as he insisted that McLaren’s gap isn’t as great as it appeared at Albert Park.
“I think, you know, clearly our car was very strong in Melbourne,” he recalled. “I think there’s no denying that. I think we got to a place where it was also handling well.
“Of course we’re racing drivers, we’re never gonna have everything we want, but I think it was clear that in all the conditions in Melbourne, our car was very strong.”
He added: “Yeah, George, he’s come up with some funny things in the last couple of weeks. We’ll see.”
READ MORE – The Max Verstappen-esque breakthrough that leaves Lando Norris as the McLaren to beat in 2025
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