Do McLaren now have the fastest car in F1?
McLaren bosses qu🦋izzed whether they poꦐssess the best car in Formula 1
McLaren bosses have played down questions about having the fastest caꦗr in F1 despite Lando Norris’ win at ไthe Dutch Grand Prix.
Norris claimed pole position on Saturday then converte🌱♔d it into victory on Sunday by a margin of 22 seconds ahead of second-place Max Verstappen.
With Red Bull now winless in the past five races, Zandvoort could be the moment remembered as McLaren’s takeover as havi🤡ng the best car in the sport.
“It was a big gap,” McL൲aren CEO Zak Brown sai🌟d to Sky Sports.
“We knew that we we🐓re fast all weekend. I am not shocked but I am pleasantly surprised at the size of the gap.
“Once Lando got into clean ai👍r he controlled it pre🥂tty easily.
“We don’t kno⭕w about each trac🦄k until we get there.
“The upgrades clear⛄ly worked. We need to keep our feet on the ground and not assume that will be a repeat every weekend.”
♉He was asked if McLaren’s car is now faster than the once-mighty Red Bull RB20, and he answered: “I think it’s hard to tell. Clearly we have a very fast🌊 car.
“We have mo🔜re fun stuff coming at Monza which is a different type of track. I think Red Bull will be quick there.”
Team principal Andrea Stella added: “Having the﷽ fastest car depends on the conditions.
“Barcelona, Hungary, here… it suited our car. Now having upgraded, let🌟’s see if it can be the best car at every venue. This is the objective.”
Stella said about Norris’ win: “Satisfying, beyond expe൩ctation.
“We knew the car𝓰 was performing well but today was a positive surprise, in terms of how🅺 fast it was.
“It’s great that Lando could capitalise with a dominant victory. Oscar got stuck i𝕴n traffic, he deserved a podium꧟ and he could have attacked Verstappen.”
McLaren are now just 30 poi🏅nts behind Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.
“We 💦are in a strong trend and we should believe in it,” Stella said about toppling Red Bull.
“We’ll give our best but we are fighting Red Bull whꦚo have been dominant in previꦬous seasons.
“We have the performance to give it a go.”
Sky Sports’ Bernie Collins analysed: “Last year they wer🍎e the most improved team. We thought ‘can it continue?’
“It’s more remarkable this year. To win with this margin, we were not expecting that. To get pole with that margin, we did not 🦋expect th🐎at.”
The F1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza next weekend of𝔉fers McLaren - who promise to bring new upgrades - another opportunity to claw at Red Bull.
James was a sports jo🎐urnalist at Sky Spor🦋ts for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
