Lando Norris Criticizes McLaren's 'Impossible' 2026 Car After US GP Qualifying

Lando Norris wasn't exactly in high spirits following the United States Grand Prix qualifying session, and he didn't mince words about McLaren's 2026 car. Initially, Norris had qualified in sixth place, but a track limits violation saw his fastest time erased, pushing him down to eighth on the grid.

The reigning F1 champion, who has seen his performance dip after a stellar mid-season run, remains ahead of his teammate in the standings. Yet, he'll start Sunday's race one position behind Oscar Piastri. Norris wasn't alone in facing issues with track limits—Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar also had their final times for Red Bull scrubbed, although it had no impact on their final positions.

Track limits have been a hot topic all weekend at COTA, with over 200 violations on Friday alone. Despite some corners having their white lines widened, Saturday's final practice still saw more than 40 infringements. When asked about the challenge of adhering to these limits, Norris admitted to Sky Sports, "Not at all. It’s fine. I just did a terrible job today. I’m just not very happy with myself."

Norris was candid about the difficulties he faced with the McLaren MCL40, describing it as "easily the hardest car I’ve driven in my life." He remarked that while the car had the potential for a P2 finish, the session was ultimately disappointing.

Speaking further to the media, Norris suggested he might need to recalibrate his expectations for race weekends. "It might be that the car is just not quick enough," he said. "You improve three corners, and the other three are a nightmare all of a sudden. So it’s just impossible. It’s an impossible car to achieve the perfection that I want to achieve at the minute."

Norris' comments come in the wake of a recent incident with his teammate Piastri during the Singapore sprint race. Although McLaren's CEO Zak Brown indicated that there would be internal repercussions, the details have been kept under wraps. Norris' critical remarks about the car probably haven't endeared him to the McLaren hierarchy, who supported him to championship success less than a year ago.