Norris can catch Russell for second in title race, Steiner says
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 22, 2026
Norris title chase
Guenther Steiner said Lando Norris can climb as high as second in the drivers’ championship if he keeps his current form over the final nine races. The gap is real, but the numbers show why Steiner sees a path. After the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring, Norris sat fourth in the standings with 186 points. Andrea Kimi Antonelli led with 292, George Russell held second with 211 and Lewis Hamilton was third. That left Norris 106 points behind Antonelli, 25 behind Russell and five behind Hamilton. He is close enough to keep pressing, and his recent stretch has given the idea more weight. Norris has won the Hungarian Grand Prix and the Dutch Grand Prix back to back, and he has won twice in his last four races. He has also taken three pole positions in his last four races.
Norris recent surge
The run of results has put Norris back in the center of the title conversation. He finished on the podium in Madrid after a virtual safety car hurt his chances of winning, a reminder that his pace has been strong enough to challenge for victories even when the race breaks against him. His own view of the speed has been just as blunt. Norris said his pole lap at the Madring was “probably one of the best laps I’ve done ever in my career.” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella echoed that assessment, saying it was one of the best performances of Norris’s career. Those reactions fit the form he has shown over the last several races. Norris has turned qualifying speed into front-running results, and the consistency has kept him in striking distance of the drivers ahead of him. The standings still show a sizeable deficit to Antonelli, but the recent sequence has changed the tone around Norris from chasing points to chasing the riders above him with real momentum.
McLaren contract outlook
Norris also gave McLaren long-term stability when he recently extended his contract through the end of 2030. That deal matches the confidence he has shown in the team’s direction. Norris said the team has improved and still believes it can keep developing the car enough to fight for the title. That message matters as McLaren tries to turn strong single-race form into a sustained challenge across the rest of the season. The combination of recent victories, pole positions and a longer commitment to McLaren gives the team a clear foundation. Steiner’s view rests on those signs. Norris does not need a dramatic swing to stay alive in the chase, he needs the same level he has shown over the last four races and the final nine still ahead.
