British rookie Lando Norris denied McLaren had a secret upgrade after claiming fifth on the grid Saturday for the French Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old driver impressed with his driving and his post-qualifying cool as he deflected jibes from Renault's Daniel Ricciardo, who qualified eighth.
The Australian heaped praise on rivals McLaren and said: "We got beat by the two McLarens and they have a little update they told no-one about, I think!
"I heard the rumours from Renault saying we have a secret upgrade -- well, we weren't expecting anything at all, to be honest, and it has turned out better than we expected."