Two straight wins have changed the tone around McLaren. Lando Norris has taken the Hungarian Grand Prix and then the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the second by more than 11 seconds ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, and Andrea Stella now says the standings do not describe what he is watching from the pit wall.

“I think he’s driving at the level of a world champion, and like I always say for Lando, what I like the most of his journey in Formula 1 is that he keeps improving,” Stella told reporters after Zandvoort.

McLaren had finished third in the Zandvoort sprint, beaten by Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, before overnight changes turned the race in Norris’s favour.

“This weekend was nowhere near a weekend in which we could fight for the victory for granted, especially after having seen the performance in the sprint,” Stella said.

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McLaren still not the fastest package, Stella admits

Stella has been open that McLaren does not have the outright fastest car. Straight-line drag and heavy braking zones are listed as weak points, and both feature at Monza.

Antonelli argues the balance has already tipped in McLaren’s direction. Mercedes are “clearly not the fastest car any more on the grid” and now sit “probably second or third”, the standings leader told reporters after the race.

Norris pushed back on his rival’s framing.

“I don’t think it’s true. I think if I didn’t get Kimi when I overtook him, I don’t think I would have won,” he said, adding that Mercedes still “have a better all-round performing car than what we do”.

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Mercedes have got a problem, says Brundle

For Sky pundit Alex Brundle, the pattern is enough to worry the title leader if it repeats at the next round.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how this McLaren form rolls on into Monza. If it’s the same there, then I think Mercedes have got a problem,” Brundle said on Sky’s coverage.

Brundle noted that the most recent rounds have not played to the high-energy demands that suit Mercedes. Monza will test whether McLaren’s upgraded package still works when the car is asked to brake late and haul itself down long straights.

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza runs from 4 to 6 September, with Antonelli already set to take a grid penalty at his home race for an engine change.

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