Nico Rosberg has argued that Mercedes will be concerned by McLaren's development rate and raw speed following the Dutch Grand Prix.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1, the 2016 Formula 1 champion praised Lando Norris's pace at Zandvoort. Despite opting not to pit for fresh tyres when others did during the virtual safety car period, Norris successfully maintained his lead over the field.
Comparing Norris's speed on hard tyres to George Russell in a similar scenario, Rosberg explained: "Lando's pace on those hard tyres, he was seven or eight tenths a lap quicker than George in a similar situation. Lando was absolutely flying out there. It was unbelievable the speed there."
McLaren's recent jump in performance will leave current constructors' championship leader Mercedes concerned, according to Rosberg.
"Mercedes is going to be worried now by this pace from McLaren," he added. "Because they're the team to beat now, and they've been developing that car faster than anybody else also. This could be a really tough end to the season for Mercedes."
Norris's win at the Dutch Grand Prix was his second of the season, having secured the victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the summer break. The 2025 champion now sits fourth in the drivers' standings with 159 points, 24 points behind Lewis Hamilton in third and 83 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
The McLaren driver's back-to-back wins have led to discussions of the title fight, with many questioning whether Norris could pull off a late-season comeback to challenge for the title. But the 26-year-old has insisted he is just taking it one race at a time.
"It sounds boring, but one race at a time," he said after the race. "I know a lot of people say it now but it's the truth of it. There's no point thinking that far ahead. I need to concentrate now on having a nice little break [before Monza]."
Photos from Dutch GP - Sunday
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