Lando Norris fires back at drivers for "talking too much" after Alonso questioned rivals

The McLaren driver’s pointed remarks came after Alonso expressed surprise at rival teams’ relentless development pace, suggesting some outfits appear to have a “money machine” in the factory despite the cost constraints.

Alonso's team Aston Martin have made it clear that they won't be able to introduce any major upgrades to the AMR26 before the summer break. Speaking after qualifying sixth for the Austrian Grand Prix, Norris dismissed comments from drivers including the Spaniard, who joked that teams have "unlimited upgrades".

Speaking to GPblog among other media outlets, Norris said: "I think the drivers talk too much. They don't understand what we're doing. They're not the accountants. They don't really know how it works. I'm not surprised at all.

Upgrades appear to be a big talking point for McLaren at the Austrian Grand Prix, as Andrea Stella highlighted how recent upgrades from Ferrari and Red Bull have meant they have slipped behind their rivals.

Stella after qualifying issued a rallying cry calling on McLaren to show "more intensity" with their upgrades, so they can close the gap on their rivals. After complimenting upgrades from their rivals, the McLaren team principal said: "We need to rev our engine higher. We need to have more intensity in the business. We need to be good at delivering effective solutions. What I see in the pipeline is very promising, especially in terms of aerodynamic upgrades. But at the same time, we need to land with these upgrades trackside as soon as possible."