Seventy-six points down to seven. That is how far McLaren’s cushion over Red Bull has shrunk since the Spanish Grand Prix in the fight for third place in the constructors’ standings, and Lando Norris’s own words from Singapore explained why.

“It’s just on a knife edge on every single corner,” Norris told reporters after finishing fourth at Marina Bay on October 11. “You’ve got to drive it within an exact per cent, and you have to force the car in every single way.”

‘Mentally draining’ from lights to flag

Norris spelled out what the MCL40 now demands of him over a full race distance.

“It’s just full on and mentally draining because of how hard you have to work behind the wheel,” he said.

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He was blunt about why there is no in-cockpit fix.

“You can’t do anything magical because you’re simply not quick enough.”

Norris described a car that refuses to self-balance, forcing him to carry both the front and the rear through every corner rather than letting one end lead. Reports from the paddock have pinpointed straight-line speed as the clearest single weakness, though Norris himself said the problem is broader than any one trait.

Red Bull closing from fourth

The gap has swung sharply. Max Verstappen’s commanding win in Singapore pulled Red Bull to within seven points of McLaren in the battle for third in the constructors’ standings: 332 to 339. Mercedes leads the championship on 578 points, with Ferrari second on 444.

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McLaren’s last victory came at Zandvoort. The MCL40’s final major upgrade package landed at the Hungarian Grand Prix in the summer, and the car has not moved forward since. Verstappen’s win in Singapore was his second in a row after Baku, and Norris’s fourth place was the latest in a run that includes a retirement in Azerbaijan.

Nothing new for Austin

The next round is the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, scheduled for October 23 to 25. If Red Bull outscore McLaren there, they move ahead of them into third in the constructors’ championship for the first time this season.

Norris is not expecting rescue from the factory.

“We can’t unless we bring upgrades and we don’t have anything for a little bit,” he said, placing McLaren as the fourth-fastest car on the grid.

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Qualifying for the US Grand Prix is on October 24 at the Circuit of the Americas.

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