Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

"This is a day I'll never forget," claims Hamilton after his magical maiden Ferrari victory.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton delivered a landmark performance as he claimed his first victory in Ferrari colours, a triumph built on bold strategy and relentless pace during his last stint.
15 Jun 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

After climbing from the car, Hamilton spoke with unmistakable emotion about the significance of the moment. “This is an incredibly special moment. Winning my first race with Ferrari is something I've dreamt about since I was a child, and to finally achieve it feels incredible,” he said, openly acknowledging the difficult path that had led him to this point.

“There were moments last year when this moment felt almost impossible, but I’m so grateful to Fred for believing in me and everyone there for making me feel so at home. We’ve been working so hard all year and so many things have changed over the past months, and today is the result of all that effort," noted Hamilton. "The upgrades we brought this weekend performed exactly as we hoped, the car felt great, and the team executed everything perfectly. The pitstops were fantastic and every detail was handled brilliantly.”

He also highlighted the unique emotional dimension of winning for Ferrari. “I've been fortunate enough to experience many special moments in my career, but this one is different. Ferrari has the greatest fans in the world and seeing their passion, their energy and their support makes this victory even more meaningful. This is a day I'll never forget, and I hope it's the first of many wins that we can celebrate together.”

"I'll never forget";

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28712


Stopping the 'Hamilton train' will not be easy, says Wolff
15 Jun 2026
The Straits Times

Lewis Hamilton is in the Formula One title reckoning and will be hard to stop now that he is a grand prix winner with Ferrari, according to his former Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. "I'd rather not fight with him for a title because I know what he's capable of. If he smells blood, he goes," Austrian Wolff told reporters when asked about the great who won six of his titles with Mercedes. "I've seen it many years where suddenly the Lewis Hamilton train started to go and then it's very difficult to stop it." The Briton struggled last season, openly describing himself as "useless" and even telling Ferrari to find someone else. He had wondered if he still had what it takes and whether he would win again, but Sunday was all the proof he needed.

This season has been very different, with Hamilton galvanised by new rules and a willingness at Ferrari to make changes he has requested. Wolff suggested a new relationship with celebrity Kim Kardashian, who accompanied him in Monaco this month, was also playing a part. "The dynamics in the team look to be good, between him and his race engineer (Carlo Santi). I saw him on the podium, on the telly. That face shows me that he's very happy," said the Austrian. "Maybe the girlfriend helps...that you have a stable family life, and they seem to be getting on really well. I think it's all of those factors that put together the emotional, personal and professional perspective."

“Lewis Hamilton train started to go and then it's very difficult to stop it";

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...asy-says-wolff


Hamilton has found joy -- and success -- again with Ferrari
14 Jun 2026
Nate Saunders
ESPN.co.uk

Lewis Hamilton can remember being a kid, lunch on his lap, watching Michael Schumacher win Formula 1 races for Ferrari, dreaming of one day doing it himself. On Sunday, he finally did it. "Just been reminded that it was 30 years ago that Michael won," a beaming Hamilton said after the race, his eyes twinkling as if he was back in his hometown of Stevenage in England.

"I would have been at home on my couch watching that race, probably like many of you, and with a plate on my lap, eating like a sandwich, or maybe chicken noodle soup or something like that. I was 12. And, yeah, just looking at that red car and thinking, 'I wonder what it's like sitting in that red cockpit?'" He paused and laughed, remembering one of his few grievances with Ferrari's fast-improving 2026 car.

"My cockpit happens to be white, which I've not been too happy about," he said. "I wanted [it] to be red like Michael's. I'll get it back red at some stage. But, yeah, [wondering] what it would be like to sit in that red car ... then be in that red suit, standing in first place in front of that amazing crew who was singing the national anthem. It was really amazing to witness and to see the joy in their eyes and to feel it with them. I nearly passed out after I hugged them. My heart was exploding with joy."

‘Dreaming of one day doing it himself’;

https://www.espn.co.uk/racing/f1/sto...rari-win-means


Everything that made Lewis Hamilton's first Ferrari F1 win possible
14 Jun 2026
SCOTT MITCHELL-MALM
The Race

The magnitude of Hamilton's first grand prix win for Ferrari, and first since July 2024, can only be properly understood by appreciating the recovery arc. It completes an impressive turnaround from his first year with the team, which turned out to be one of Hamilton's most disappointing seasons in F1. He failed to score a grand prix podium for the first time in his career, as the promise of an early sprint race pole and win in China turned out to be a false dawn. After that point in 2025, this union never looked like it was on a trajectory leading to success, which led to a lot of scrutiny over Hamilton's position.

"I'm only human," he said. "There's moments where I see the stuff and for sure there's moments where I allowed it to get to me and penetrate deeply." As world champion Lando Norris observed after the Barcelona race, Hamilton's taken "a lot of crap" and "it's nice he can stick the middle finger up to all of them". The biggest thing that's changed to facilitate that is F1 as a whole. The prospect of brand new rules freeing him from limitations specific to the ground-effect era was a hypothesis rooted in hope rather than expectation - something else Hamilton admitted.

But these cars definitely suit him better. The way they move around and what they can cope with under braking are a better match for how Hamilton wants to attack corner entries. It's fair to conclude these cars allow him to perform more consistently at his best and, though it has to be considered a blot on his copybook for not adapting better to the previous rules, it should also be recognised that Hamilton's peak is still clearly very high. "After a year like last year, there was definitely moments that I was like, 'Sheesh, maybe it is true that, when you get to a certain point, you lose it'," he said. "But I've proven that you don't."

‘Everything’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/l...e-it-possible/


Lewis Hamilton delivers menacing ‘right team’ verdict after maiden Ferrari F1 win
14 Jun 2026
Anirban Aly Mandal
Motorsport Week

Now, the seven-time World Champion has made a menacing admission. “The team, they’ve been so kind. We come back to the garage after a difficult race and they’re like ‘Don’t worry, next time’,” he said answering a question from Motorsport Monday.

“They’re just so supportive through it all. For sure, results like this change everything and reinstate if there is a lack of confidence. I hope that’s this was a convincing gap and race. I think that it’s been happening over the last few races. The changes that I’ve asked for all of last year have been made. I now have the right team around me and I’ll have the right car around me and now I can start doing what I do best.”

‘Menacing ‘right team’ verdict’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...-barcelona-gp/


Barcelona GP conclusions: Lewis Hamilton rediscovered, hidden Russell defeat, new Leclerc crisis
15 Jun 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Lewis Hamilton has spoken a lot this year about his mission to, as he puts it, “remember who I am.” An interesting turn of phrase, the implication being that the last few years – not just his first season with Ferrari in 2025 but the period stretching all the way back to the trauma of Abu Dhabi 2021 – had in some way changed him. Not merely a lack of results, but a loss of identity. A different driver, yes, but perhaps a different man too.

Where once he oozed confidence and certainty, like all the truly great drivers, suddenly even he found himself needing some convincing. Is it the car that’s the problem here? Or – gulp – might it be me? It has been an ongoing process this season, this gradual journey of self-rediscovery helped by a steady stream of podiums in the most effective machinery he has had this side of 2021. Yet it wasn’t until around halfway through Sunday’s Barcelona Grand Prix that everything finally clicked back into place.

The moment came on Lap 34 when Lewis, with energy in his voice once again, asked his race engineer Carlo Santi if he was catching the Mercedes cars of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli ahead. “You are catching really well,” came the reply. “Keep pushing, keep pushing.” A sniff. That’s all it was. But sometimes that’s all it takes. That’s all a competitor of this intensity needs to hear for those old instincts to start firing up again.

“You are catching really well”;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/ba...26-conclusions

[Fortitude]

Lewis Hamilton grateful to Ferrari for tolerating ‘relentless’ quest for F1 improvement.
“Well firstly, I wouldn’t be in this team without Fred… Fred is the one that made it happen, and of which I’m incredibly grateful to him for.”
16 Jun 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

Lewis Hamilton issued a special thank you to Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur for tolerating his “relentless” search for improvements, after taking a maiden Formula 1 win for the Italian giants. …quick to acknowledge that his incessant striving for change must not have been easy for the Frenchman, but “continued to believe” in him. “I think last year was really, really, really tough for him to deal with me coming, [it] was a big shock to the system,” Hamilton continued.

“Because I am very, very vocal – if I see something that I don’t think is right, I push very, very hard, that’s like at the core of who I am and I’m relentless with it. And I think it’s it’s not easy to be on the receiving end of that. When you’re also juggling a whole organisation, you know, and a culture that’s in its own is set in a certain way, and also, he’s French in Italian culture – it was a lot for him to juggle and I think very, very tough…”

“Because obviously he would do media as well but he continued to believe, continue to be a good friend, continue to to be a great teammate and an ally and really supportive and ultimately, really listened at the end. [I] had to really ask – really, really ask – for some of the changes, and he enabled them to happen, which I’m forever grateful for, because then wouldn’t have happened without those changes. So, big, big thank you to him.”

‘Relentless’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...i-improvement/


The missing ingredient: Why Lewis Hamilton can lead Ferrari to Formula 1 glory
16 Jun 2026
Ben Hunt
GPblog.com

As someone who has followed Lewis Hamilton's F1 career extremely closely for over a decade, it was easy to appreciate the magnitude of his first win for Ferrari and the plaudits. After all, I've spend a huge chunk of my spare time researching and writing about his decision to move from Mercedes to Ferrari for a shot at winning the F1 title for my recently published book, Lewis in Red. However, now I have had time to let that victory sink in, and perhaps rather like Hamilton will be asking his Ferrari team today in Maranello, what's next?

The answer is simple. A full-out campaign to win the F1 title. Now, with three podiums, including that victory in Barcelona, plus a hefty upgrade package for the race in Spain, I am anticipating Ferrari, led by Hamilton, to seriously challenge for that elusive eighth world title that would move him clear of the all-time record he currently shares with Michael Schumacher. Formula 1's current regulations allow for substantial gains when teams correctly identify weaknesses and aggressively pursue solutions.

The gap to Mercedes may have appeared substantial at the start of the year but Hamilton in Barcelona was more that equal on pace. But Ferrari's challenge is not simply to improve their car. It is to maintain belief while doing so. That is where Hamilton becomes such an important figure. Hamilton is a winner. He is able to provide an ingredient that has been missing from Ferrari. His career is littered with examples of overcoming adversity.

‘The missing ingredient’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/column/the...ormula-1-glory


McLaren claim "Ferrari has clearly made significant performance gains"
16 Jun 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Team Principal Andrea Stella acknowledged Ferrari’s surge: “Ferrari has clearly made significant performance gains, with recent upgrades now positioning them as race winners. Therefore, as competitors, we know there is more to do. Our analysis is very clear: we are reasonably competitive in the high speed sections but need to add aerodynamic grip to improve in the medium and low speed corners, where we are currently losing out.”

Tyre management, he said, was the decisive factor in the race: “Today, the key differentiator in the race came down to tyre management. The way the car and driver interact with the tyres over a long stint is an area we must investigate and improve upon.” He also suggested that strategy may have cost them: “Reviewing strategy is also an area to highlight as the three stop option may have been the better route. However, ultimately Lewis Hamilton looked the strongest on the day with Ferrari in condition to contest at the front regardless.”

‘Significant performance gains’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28717


Hamilton's real Barcelona pace advantage explained
15 Jun 2026
JON NOBLE
The Race

There is little doubt that Lewis Hamilton received a big helping hand in his charge to victory in Formula 1's Barcelona Grand Prix with the late-race virtual safety car. But was the VSC a single element stroke of luck that effectively won the race and derailed any hope for Mercedes? Or would Hamilton have still triumphed without it? While nobody can know for definite about the turn of events if the VSC had not come about, the consensus from both Mercedes and Ferrari was that Hamilton was still most likely set to win – but that it would have been mighty close.

Toto Wolff's conclusion was: "Lewis was the quickest afterwards, so even if we would have come out in front of him, it would have been very tricky to hold him behind." Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had his own idea about the outcome "We would have won the race, perhaps with a bit less," he said. "But we were also in a good situation with a fresh set of tyres at this stage, and it was positive for us. I don't want to do the calculation of what would have been the race with this or this, but I think we were already in a very good situation."

And while we will never know for sure how things would have panned out, it is understood that Mercedes' post-race analysis gave its own verdict. It is that Hamilton would not have had an easy time but would have been on target to take the lead with two or three laps to go – ending the race with only a one or two-seconds lead. This all shows the VSC did not hand Hamilton the win; but it made sure the victory was made a lot more straightforward.

‘Barcelona pace advantage’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/h...age-explained/


Ferrari chairman sends heartfelt tribute to Hamilton after Barcelona triumph
15 Jun 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Ferrari chairman John Elkann shared a special congratulatory message for Lewis Hamilton after the Briton claimed his first victory in red with a dominant display at the Spanish Grand Prix. Among those to congratulate the Briton was Ferrari chairman John Elkann, who hailed the success as an emotional milestone and an important achievement for the entire team and its supporters.

Elkann also paid tribute to the collective effort behind the result, thanking everyone at Ferrari for the dedication, sacrifice and commitment shown every day both at the circuit and back in Maranello: "Well done Lewis, on your first great victory with Ferrari: an emotional moment and a very important result, which belongs to the entire team and to all our fans. I would like to thank everyone for the determination, sacrifice and collective effort that they demonstrate every day with passion and Ferrari spirit, both at the track and in Maranello."

‘Heartfelt tribute’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ferra...celona-triumph


F1 Needed Hamilton’s Ferrari Win Just as Much, if Not More
Whether it's a hero, a villain, or an underdog story, F1 thrives on eye-catching headlines to retain viewership. But sometimes, sometimes it's just a heart-warming story involving Lewis Hamilton.
15 Jun 2026
Jerry Perez
The Drive

It’s finally happened. After a 41-race winless streak, Sir Lewis Hamilton achieved what even he’s admitted he doubted would ever come: his 106th Formula 1 win. But not just any win, his first Grand Prix with Scuderia Ferrari. It’s no surprise how the world has reacted to it, but even more so, how his peers have reacted to the Brit’s dominant win at yesterday’s Spanish Grand Prix. It’s not unusual for drivers to walk up to the race winner and give them a pat on the back, a fist bump, or maybe even a hug if they’re somewhat friends.

For Hamilton’s latest win, however, fellow drivers took to social media to comment on F1’s posts, mostly by re-sharing or posting their own photos of the seven-time world champion, adding a congratulatory message. And that was just the public-facing message—I’m sure there was a ton more behind the scenes. It almost feels as if the guy had won the world championship instead of a random GP. George Russell, who finished on the podium with Hamilton and Lando Norris, was the first one to congratulate him, while making a little innocent dig at the Ferrari driver’s age.

“Huge congrats to this guy because I know how hard he works,” said Russell. “We spent a lot of years together at Mercedes, so I’m really pleased to see him back to the Lewis I remember when I was growing up watching Formula 1.” Norris, who rounded up the all-British podium, also chimed in, as well as Kimi Antonelli, Nico Hulkenberg, Max Verstappen, and, of course, his teammate Charles Leclerc, who did not finish the race due to a mechanical failure.

‘It’s finally happened’;

https://www.thedrive.com/news/f1-nee...ch-if-not-more

[Fortitude]

Mercedes delivers F1 reliability pledge after shocking Kimi Antonelli DNF.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has pledged that it will be “really digging deep” to avoid further reliability issues, after Andrea Kimi Antonelli retired late on in the Formula 1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
17 Jun 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

We don’t know yet what was the cause of the failure,” the Mercedes Team Principal said. “Most of the others were battery-related, but different failures. It was not always the same, so we need to understand what it was, but clearly the symptom was quite similar, that the car, like George in Montreal, where the car just switched off. We will be really digging deep to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

“Really digging deep”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...bility-pledge/


The true cost of Mercedes' biggest 2026 weakness
17 Jun 2026
JOSH SUTTILL
The Race

Mercedes knows it cannot afford non-finishes in a "regular, continued way" if it's to see off the increased championship threat from Ferrari this Formula 1 season.
Kimi Antonelli and George Russell have both lost big chunks of points to race-ending mechanical failures, which has left Mercedes (via Antonelli) with a 41-point advantage in the drivers' championship and a 72-point constructors' championship lead, both of which should be bigger.

"I'm underwhelmed," said team principal Toto Wolff after Mercedes' reliability let it down again at Barcelona, as Antonelli retired from second place late on. "You can't DNF cars in a kind of regular, continued way. Losing 25 points in a constructors' championship [fight] in Montreal and losing another 18 points today. In order to finish first, first you have to finish. Reliability, this is what we need to get on top of. That's number one."

Points lost to reliability issues (team)
Mercedes: 43
Red Bull: 36
McLaren: 30
Ferrari: 10
Points lost to reliability issues (driver)
Verstappen: 26
Russell: 25
Norris: 20
Antonelli: 18
Hadjar: 10
Leclerc: 10
Piastri: 10
Hamilton: 0

"I'm underwhelmed";

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/t...2026-weakness/


Mercedes makes alarming admission about biggest F1 2026 weakness
Mercedes admits its reliability has not been good enough in F1 2026.
17 Jun 2026
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

"We just can't compete for a championship if every second race a car is losing fat points. It's one and then the other and to finish first, first you have to finish. That's just not good enough," Toto Wolff told Sky Sports F1.

Speaking to media including Crash.net on Sunday evening in Barcelona, Wolff added: "You see a DNF robs you of 25 points and it's wide open. That's why we can't afford to not finish. We need to just keep putting performance on the car and power unit, not make mistakes, be clever with the strategy and stay absolutely on it.”

‘Reliability has not been good enough’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109891...-2026-weakness


Toto Wolff: Mercedes team principal says Silver Arrows 'can't compete for a championship' with power unit unreliability issues
Mercedes suffered their second terminal power unit-related problem in three races after Kimi Antonelli's car shut down towards the end of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix; Antonelli was running in second before his retirement, having overtaken George Russell
14 June 2026
Sky Sports

Mercedes' advantage in the Constructors' Championship was trimmed to 72 points over Ferrari, who also had a retirement on Sunday as Charles Leclerc suffered a terminal hydraulics problem.

Wolff said: "We can't DNF cars in a continued way, losing 25 points in the Constructors' Championship in Montreal and losing another 18 points on Sunday. We need to get on top of [it] and that's number one. So nobody's happy about that. And we will leave no stone unturned to understand."

"We can't DNF cars in a continued way”;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...ability-issues


Toto Wolff bemoans Mercedes’ reliability issues and fears title fight with Lewis Hamilton
Toto Wolff admitted Mercedes must solve its reliability problems after Kimi Antonelli’s Barcelona GP retirement opened the door for Lewis Hamilton
15 June 2026
Euan Burns
Total Motorsport

On Lewis Hamilton‘s upturn in form and what it means for his strategy, Toto Wolff said: “Yes, I’ve always said that things change when a third party becomes involved in the championship fight, whether that’s the Drivers’ Championship or the Constructors’ Championship. We’re now in that situation. We’ll discuss internally with both drivers how we want to handle situations where they risk holding each other up. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. We may just need to recalibrate slightly.”

“We’re still very early in the season. The gap is, what, 40 points? Forty-one? A single DNF costs you 25 points. It’s wide open. That’s why we can’t afford not to finish races. We need to keep bringing performance to the car and the power unit, avoid mistakes, make smart strategic decisions and stay absolutely on top of everything.”

‘Fears title fight’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/tot...s-reliability/


Mercedes plan fresh F1 driver talks as new obstacle appears
Mercedes was beaten for the first time this year as Lewis Hamilton sealed victory for Ferrari in Barcelona last Sunday.
16 June 2026
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stated he will enter discussions with his drivers over how the squad manages races when another party is involved in the fight. Mercedes was forced to react to Hamilton's early pit stop in the race, but it generated complaints from George Russell who felt it opened the door to a better strategy for his team-mate Kimi Antonelli.

The duo would later go wheel-to-wheel in the race before Antonelli retired with a power unit issue. But with Mercedes finally feeling pressure from another team this year, Wolff has suggested it may need to alter its approach going forward. “We didn't interfere in them fighting because that's how we've always raced. But it's a situation we need to look into for the future with both drivers, how to handle a situation where there's a pace differential if we are fighting for a victory or the risk of losing a victory.”

‘Will enter discussions’;

https://racingnews365.com/mercedes-p...stacle-appears


Mercedes explains the strategy call and the missed victory
17 Jun 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin explained, the race evolved in ways that made that choice increasingly costly: “Despite getting a car on the podium, we leave Barcelona with a feeling of disappointment. We were not fast enough today and know that we can't afford to be retiring with a reliability issue.”

Shovlin noted that the opening phase went as expected: “Both cars got off the line well despite being on the Medium compound and the first stint ran broadly to plan. The second stint exposed the limits of Mercedes’ pace relative to Hamilton: “Through the second stint, we didn't have the pace to build a sufficient gap to Lewis to be able to cover his three stop with George, so we elected to commit to the two stop to keep track position.”

Shovlin acknowledged the scale of the setback: “We'll be working hard to understand why Kimi's car stopped and similarly working out where we can find a bit more pace, as ultimately, we lacked the speed to control the race and that's what cost us the win.”

‘The scale of the setback’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28720

[Fortitude]

Lando Norris points out McLaren problems in Barcelona: “The car didn’t perform in slow-speed corners”
Lando Norris admitted McLaren still have a clear weakness in slow-speed corners despite a much improved qualifying performance at the Barcelona Grand Prix.
14 June 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

Lando Norris made clear the improvement was not because the car’s underlying weakness had been fixed. “I think we took a good step forward,” Norris told the press, including Total-Motorsport.com. “Nothing slipped away – it came towards us, we got better. It’s just the others pushed a bit more, and just look at their onboard and look at our onboard, I think it’s quite easy to see the difference of kind of balance and ease of producing lap time.”

“I’m very happy with today. I know the gap was small to P3 but he’s [Kimi Antonelli] in a car that can go three-tenths quicker and I’m in a car that can maybe go half a tenth quicker, maybe one. I’m satisfied with today and we should be happy as a team.”

‘Clear weakness’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/lan...speed-corners/


Lando Norris reveals inside McLaren struggle: 'It's tough for us to realise'
Lando Norris has yet to taste victory in 2026, with McLaren’s dominance in recent seasons well and truly over.
14 June 2026
Nick Golding & Pepijn van der Hulst
RacingNews365

Asked if McLaren's rivals made a greater step, Norris told select media, including RacingNews365: "No, no, I think we took a good step forward. Nothing slipped away; it came towards us. We got better.”

"It's just that the others pushed a bit more. If you look at their onboard footage and then look at our onboard, I think it's quite easy to see the difference in balance and ease of producing lap time.”

"So I'm very happy. I know the gap to P3 was small, but he's [Antonelli] in a car that can go three tenths quicker, and I'm in a car that can maybe go half a tenth quicker, maybe one. So, no, I'm satisfied, and we should be happy as a team."

“We got better”;

https://racingnews365.com/lando-norr...-us-to-realise


"The wind and heat made McLaren inconsistent," claims Norris
14 Jun 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Lando Norris carried the momentum of a strong Barcelona weekend into qualifying, but when the fight tightened in Q3, McLaren found themselves edged out by Mercedes and Ferrari at the decisive moment.

“We showed some progress today and I'm reasonably happy with P4,” Norris said afterwards. “The Red Flag in the final corner on my first push lap was unlucky and probably cost us a shot at P3, but P4 is still a strong place to start. Compared to Monaco, we’re back closer to where we should be, and the pace felt better overall.”

Even so, Norris was clear that the gap to the front remained too large for comfort. “The gap to Pole, around three and a half tenth, is still significant, and the car wasn’t easy to drive with the wind and heat making it inconsistent, especially at the rear,” he explained.

‘Gap to the front remained too large for comfort’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28706


Lando Norris believes McLaren will challenge for wins again soon
The reigning World Champion was on the podium for only the second time this season with Mercedes having been dominant in the 2026 season.
15 Jun 2026
Daniel Clark
Somerset Live

Lando Norris believes McLaren have "just got to keep our heads down" in order to challenge for victories again after the Somerset driver finished third in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. On his own race and finishing third, Norris from Flastonbury added:

"It was a tough race, I did my best to keep up with these guys [Hamilton and Russell] but [they were] too quick. We stayed there, we gave ourselves a chance if anything happened, and we obviously got a bit lucky with Antonelli going out," said Norris immediately after the race. "But otherwise very happy, very happy for the team, very happy to be back on the podium, so a good day for us."

‘Challenge for wins’;

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/sport...lenge-11013979


Norris had not expected McLaren to fight for a podium at Barcelona
16 Jun 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Lando Norris explained that the most surprising aspect of his afternoon was simply how competitive he remained from start to finish. “Quite a bit actually,” he said when asked how much confidence he took from the race.

“I just wasn’t expecting to be… It wasn’t like I was fighting the Mercedes, but I was always there. I wasn’t far behind at all, and I probably wasn’t expecting to be quite that close for the whole race, especially because after the first stint, I think I was already like, I don’t know, 12 seconds behind George.”

He also highlighted the physical and strategic demands of the afternoon, noting how aggressively he had to push early in each stint to stay in touch. “It was clear how much more I had to push comparing to them in the first parts of the first third and second third of a stint, because it was clear how much more I deg’d off after in the final third.”

‘Not expected’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28718


Lando Norris reveals how McLaren can beat Mercedes and Ferrari in 2026
15 Jun 2026
James Phillips
Motorsport Week

Lando Norris has revealed the effort required by McLaren to beat the reigning champions, Mercedes and Ferrari, following the Formula 1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. In the post race press conference, Norris reflected on what he called a “tough afternoon”. “Yeah, tough race,” he said to media, including Motorsport Week.

“I did my best to keep up with these guys, but they were too quick. So we stayed there and gave ourselves a chance if anything happened, and we obviously got a bit lucky with Antonelli going out. But otherwise, I’m very happy. Very happy for the team, very happy to be back on the podium. So, a good day for us. Ah, just a little bit of everything at the minute,” he said on what was needed to beat F1’s current benchmark teams.”

“We’re doing a good job as a team, and I think we’re making good progress, but these guys are just doing a better job. So, we have to give credit to them and admit to ourselves that we’ve got to keep working hard and keep putting in the effort. But the whole team is doing that, so I’m very happy with them. We just have to keep our heads down and keep working, and we’ll get there soon.”

“Just a little bit of everything”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...rrari-in-2026/


McLaren confirms another upgrade package for Norris and Piastri
18 Jun 2026
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com

“Ferrari at the moment is the car with the best chassis,” analysed McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. “We see in the middle sector, especially in the medium-speed corners, that Ferrari is the fastest in the corners, not necessarily the fastest in the straights." The Italian praises Ferrari’s chassis, but the best F1 car in his view is the Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.“Probably Mercedes over a single lap, the best car overall. When the chassis and the power unit are both considered."

If Stella has his way, that won’t be the case for long. The McLaren team boss is announcing upgrades for the MCL40. “We aim for the coming races to develop our car further by bringing some upgrades, but at the same time, we are certain that our competitors will also have some upgrades." Indeed, for example, Red Bull Racing will have a major package of changes in Austria. That’s why Stella is mainly looking at himself.

“Honestly, we want to look at our own trajectory, we want to make sure that race by race we improve our car, and then we kind of let the results take care of themselves. So, maximum focus at the moment is, I would say, internal, what we need to do to improve the car, and then once we are racing, we will see what we need to do."

‘Another upgrade package’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/mclar...is-and-piastri