Bernie Collins claims Lando Norris ‘signalled’ title intention but a ‘question’ lingers over McLaren

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Bernie Collins feels Lando Norris signalled his intention to fight for the 2026 F1 title at the Miami Grand Prix, but McLaren still need to prove they can offer him a car to win.

McLaren began the 2026 F1 season on the back foot as Mercedes emerged as the dominant force ahead of Ferrari. Yet McLaren had kicked off the campaign with a basic version of their car, and their first upgrade package of the season in Miami showed they can still be a threat.

Norris won the Miami Sprint from pole position last Saturday, and he may have also won the Miami GP had McLaren not let Mercedes gem Andrea Kimi Antonelli get an undercut. Norris did not have the race pace compared to Antonelli, while in clean air, to try another overtake.

More upgrades are coming for the MCL40, too, as it is said that McLaren only revealed 60% of their updates in Miami. McLaren will debut further upgrades at the Canadian Grand Prix on May 22-24, but Mercedes will also reveal their first major upgrade package in Montreal.

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Lando Norris reached seven seasons in a row with his P2 in Miami!

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McLaren still have to prove they can develop a title-winning 2026 F1 car for Lando Norris

Collins suspects that the 2026 F1 drivers’ championship and the constructors’ title will both boil down to which team is the most efficient and successful with their updates. The former McLaren strategist also does not expect to see the actual pecking order for “several” events.

READ MORE: Lando Norris’ first F1 drivers’ title in 2025 was defined by seven key moments

But Norris winning the F1 Sprint at the Miami GP from pole, and him then backing it up with a respectable P2 from P4 on the grid in the Grand Prix, showed Collins that the Briton is not ready to yield his crown as the defending drivers’ champion yet, despite his 49-point deficit.

“I think he signalled that he obviously intends to,” Collins said on Sky Sports News (06/05, 16:35). “But McLaren, we’ve seen in the past have been very, very good at upgrading that car, very good at bringing development to it, to try and close that gap.

“The Miami Sprint last weekend, they were right there. They got on the Sprint weekend very, very quickly. So, the question is that development race as we go through the year.

“Can Mercedes hold on to the lead that they have at this stage? Or can McLaren close that gap? And we don’t know the answer to that, or we won’t, I think, for several races into the season.

“So, I think this season has the potential to really push drivers and teams right to the end of the year.”

Antonelli’s Miami GP victory from pole position, as he became the first driver in F1 history to secure their first three Grand Prix wins from their first three poles, made him the first driver to hit triple digits for points in 2026 with 100. Norris has 51 points after the first four rounds.

Mercedes racer George Russell endured a disappointing time at the Miami GP but still ranks second to teammate Antonelli in the standings on 80 points. How Mercedes’ and McLaren’s Canadian GP upgrades now affect the pecking order may prove very telling for the title race.