Norris hopes Mercedes rivalry aids McLaren at Miami GP

Lando Norris, the reigning Formula 1 world champion, expressed hope ahead of this weekend's Miami Grand Prix that Mercedes teammates George Russell and Kimi Antonelli continue their intense intra-team rivalry, potentially allowing McLaren to close the early-season gap in the 2026 championship.

Norris sits fifth in the drivers' standings with 25 points, trailing leader Antonelli by 47 points after four races. Mercedes has won every grand prix so far, with Russell victorious in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and Antonelli securing back-to-back triumphs in China and Japan. McLaren has struggled for pace initially but showed improvement in Japan, where teammate Oscar Piastri earned the team's first podium of the year.

"It's good to see. Kimi is in his second year in F1, so he's doing a good job," Norris told reporters. "The more points they can take away from each other, the better... the same like us last year and Max in a fight. Hopefully it can be a similar story the other way around." Norris referenced how his own battles with Piastri in the previous season inadvertently aided Max Verstappen's late title push before Norris clinched the championship.