Lando Norris celebrated a second consecutive race win this season at the Dutch Grand Prix, but he was quick to temper expectations about his and McLaren's prospects for a title challenge.
"I don't have the car I need to fight for a championship," Norris said, underlining his view that the current McLaren package still falls short of what is required to mount a sustained bid for the drivers' crown.
The result highlighted McLaren's capability to deliver strong performances on particular weekends, yet Norris's comments pointed to what he sees as a wider and more persistent shortfall in competitiveness. His assessment suggests that while the team can be victorious under the right circumstances, it may lack the consistency needed over a full season to stay in contention.
Norris's frank appraisal raises questions about how McLaren will approach development as the campaign progresses. For now, the team can take momentum from back-to-back wins, but Norris made clear that individual successes do not change his view of the car's limitations.
He and McLaren face the challenge of turning occasional triumphs into regular competitiveness if they are to close the gap to the leading contenders in the championship fight.