Lando Norris believes McLaren are "two, three months behind" their Formula One rivals after a slow start to the season.

Reigning champion Norris is yet to win a race in 2026, achieving just two podiums so far as he sits fifth in the Drivers' Championship.

McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri is in fourth, one point ahead of Norris, but the Australian has also failed to win a grand prix this year.

McLaren are third in the Drivers' Championship, 143 points behind leaders Mercedes, who have won seven of the season's eight races heading into the British Grand Prix.

Ferrari are second in the standings, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen (second) and Isack Hadjar (sixth) both finished above Norris (seventh) at last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix.

The British driver claimed they will need a few more upgrades to catch up with their rivals, but has full faith in the McLaren team to do so.

"One good upgrade, no [is not enough]," said Norris. "We need three, four, five, but it depends.

"Sometimes you take one little piece at a time, sometimes you try and make something so everything goes together because it's a new philosophy.

"We're like two, three months behind. That's not one upgrade; that's a lot of bits.

"I don't think we're going to be quickest anytime soon but hopefully over the next three, four, five months we can catch up and we can narrow the gap to be on pace with them.

"We're like three months behind and that's a hard task to overcome but everyone in McLaren knows that we can achieve that and we're excited to try and do it."

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McLaren held a strong lead in the Drivers' Championship last year, with Piastri and Norris boasting a large lead over Verstappen, who finished just two points off top spot in the end.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella wants to use the Dutchman's campaign as a blueprint for what his team could do this season.

"The important point will be how far ahead will Mercedes be towards the end of the season," said Stella.

"If there's another team catching up, will it still be early enough to actually catch up the points and for instance set a challenge like Verstappen set a challenge last year to us in the Drivers' Championship?

"Ultimately this is what drives our motivation we want to be that team and we want to be that driver that sets a challenge to Mercedes and to the Mercedes drivers in the championship."