Norris Rules Out Monza Pole Fight
Lando Norris has admitted McLaren is struggling for outright pace at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix, with the reigning World Champion believing a fight for pole position is currently out of reach.
Norris finished Friday's second practice session in P4, setting a 1:22.943 and ending the session 0.384 seconds behind Mercedes' George Russell, who topped the timesheets. Oscar Piastri was sixth in the second McLaren.
The result left Norris concerned about where McLaren stands against Mercedes, Ferrari and the rest of the leading pack.
McLaren arrived at Monza chasing the front. Friday suggested there is work to do.
McLaren Struggling in Unexpected Areas
The biggest concern for Norris was not simply the gap to Russell.
McLaren's performance weaknesses appeared in areas where the team expected the MCL40 to be competitive.
Norris explained that the car was struggling in corners McLaren expected to suit its package, while performing slightly better than anticipated in sections it had expected to find more difficult.
That uncertainty leaves McLaren with a difficult setup challenge heading into qualifying.
The problem isn't only finding more speed — it's understanding where that speed has disappeared.
Russell Sets the Benchmark at Monza
While McLaren searched for answers, George Russell put Mercedes at the top of FP2.
Russell's benchmark left Norris fourth, while Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli also showed strong pace by finishing third. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc split the Mercedes drivers in second.
The competitive picture remained tight, but Norris was notably cautious about McLaren's chances.
He said he did not believe the team was currently in contention for pole and instead stressed the importance of executing cleanly and securing a strong result.
Piastri Also Searching for More Performance
Norris is not the only McLaren driver looking for improvements.
Oscar Piastri finished FP2 in P6 with a 1:23.028, around eight hundredths behind his team-mate. The Australian admitted McLaren still did not have the pace it needed but said Friday had provided plenty of data for the team to analyse.
Piastri has already been searching for answers after struggling to match Norris consistently in recent races, making Monza another important weekend for the Australian.
Both sides of the McLaren garage now face the same challenge.
Find performance before qualifying begins.
McLaren Faces a Tough Monza Qualifying Battle
Monza's low-downforce configuration creates a very different challenge from the circuits where McLaren has recently excelled.
The team entered Italy with momentum after Norris won the previous two Grands Prix in Hungary and the Netherlands, but Friday showed that carrying that form into Monza may not be straightforward.
Mercedes and Ferrari both showed competitive pace, while the margins across the leading group remained small.
For Winbox Racing, McLaren's overnight response will be one of the biggest stories to follow heading into Italian Grand Prix qualifying.
Two straight victories brought McLaren to Monza with momentum.
Now Norris and Piastri have a fight on their hands just to get back into pole contention.
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