Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stated that McLaren's Lando Norris and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton are now genuine contenders for the Formula One world championship. This assessment follows Norris's decisive win at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Wolff noted that Mercedes' early-season dominance appears to have been largely erased. He indicated there would be no quick fix for the team, as they cannot develop at the same rate as rivals due to a different budget allocation strategy.
Norris's victory at Zandvoort was his second consecutive win this season, with McLaren having introduced several car upgrades. He finished ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, who placed second and third respectively. Ferrari has also reportedly closed the gap to Mercedes, who won eight of the first 12 races, including the initial six.
Despite Antonelli leading the championship by 59 points over Hamilton and 83 points over Norris, Wolff anticipates a tougher title fight with 11 races remaining. He confirmed that Antonelli will take a new engine at his home race in Monza, incurring grid penalties.