Lando Norris has delivered a brutal assessment of McLaren, admitting that the Monaco Grand Prix has been a "reality check" for just how far off the pace the Woking-based outfit is.
McLaren endured a disappointing qualifying session at the Circuit de Monaco, with Oscar Piastri and Norris securing only seventh and eighth on the grid.
In addition to being fourth in the pecking order at the legendary circuit, both McLarens were more than six tenths adrift of polesitter Kimi Antonelli.
It marks a dramatic change from 12 months ago for the British outfit, following Norris' pole position and victory in Monaco last season.
Slow-speed corners have proven to be a weakness of McLaren's 2026 car, with the team also struggling through the slower sections in Montreal. According to Norris, there are several aspects of the MCL40 that are making life extremely difficult.
According to the reigning world champion, McLaren's car is "not compliant" and "not very forgiving", resulting in a loss of confidence behind the wheel.
Asked if Monaco has been tougher than expected, Norris told select media, including RacingNews365: "I think it's just a slight difference of opinion. I'm the one driving the car, so I can tell how difficult it is to extract lap time. I could already feel how difficult it was last time in Montreal.
"That's why I was so surprised to be as competitive as we were. Coming here is quite a, not an eye-opener, but still a slight reality check of how far off we are.
"So, honestly, when you look at where we've been good, it's still been at tracks that aren't crazy slow-speed, you know, like Suzuka and Miami. After Montreal, and going into Monaco, my expectations weren't high.
"If you'd asked me coming into Monaco, I think I said it probably in Montreal, I didn't have high hopes for this weekend. The car is just very difficult to drive, not very compliant and not very forgiving in any way.
"So, my confidence level last year was 100. Now it's 85, and around Monaco, you need to be at 100."
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