Lando Norris says we are lucky Ferrari don't have a better engine

While Mercedes started the season with the best overall package, there was a consensus that Ferrari had the better chassis while lagging in terms of power unit performance as they opted for a smaller turbo design, good for fast starts but bad for top-end performance.

As the season progressed, Ferrari kept developing the chassis of the SF-26 with the latest upgrade package introduced in Barcelona, catapulting them to the front of the pecking order with Lewis Hamilton winning by around 19s with the assistance of a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) that played well in Ferrari's hands as they went for a three-stop strategy.

However, the general understanding is that Hamilton would have won without the VSC, albeit with a smaller margin.

McLaren, on the other hand, are nowhere near their 2025 form, and Norris lucked into a podium in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix after Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli retired with battery problems.

Norris said: "We are lucky that Ferrari don't have a better engine at the minute. If they had a better engine, they would be dominating.

"They are the class of the field in terms of cornering performance, and we are not even close to them. We are a long, long way from where we need to be. If they make improvements on the engine side, they will embarrass everyone.

"We need to really get our heads down and see what improvements we can do. But the team are working very hard. Everyone back at the factory is doing the best they can.

"Some things take time, but we need to accelerate progress because we want to stay in the fight," the Briton concluded.

What could be a source of concern for Ferrari's rivals is that they have been given two upgrade tokens under the ADUO after the FIA's recent power unit evaluation.

McLaren, who have struggled with reliability so far this season, are third in the 2026 F1 Constructors' Championship, 49 behind second-placed Ferrari and 121 points behind leaders Mercedes. (Source: Sky Sports F1)