Lando Norris believes McLaren could catch up with Red Bull

Lando Norris has expressed optimism about the possibility of catching up with Max Verstappen this season, noting McLaren’s recent improvements. While Norris admitted that overcoming the Red Bull driver would be challenging since Verstappen doesn’t have any weak points, he highlighted the increased opportunities for a points shift, especially with Mercedes joining the competition.

Norris stated, “There’s a greater chance now, especially with Mercedes in the mix, which could lead to larger point swings. A poor weekend for Max used to mean finishing third, but now it could be fifth or sixth. If you’re the one winning, you can quickly turn around a significant number of points in just one weekend.”

In recent weeks, Verstappen’s edge has started to wane, and this season is not as guaranteed for him at this point as it seemed last season. Although he still sits atop the leaderboard, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Norris at second and third place respectively, his position is being threatened and could be lost if McLaren and Ferrari keep winning like they have done in the last four races. 

Norris further explained that Verstappen is still the man to beat, even with his recent performance, although he could be prone to errors that could cost him if care is not taken: “Even on a bad weekend, Max still scores a substantial amount of points. He’s consistently strong and rarely makes errors or falters in qualifying. However, increased pressure can lead to mistakes, and you never know how someone will handle it.”

Reflecting on Verstappen’s performance, Norris said, “You can’t underestimate Max in any aspect. He doesn’t have an outright weakness. It’s possible to beat him to the title, but it will require a very strong car and consistent performance throughout the season. Their performance has been more variable than ours, so we need to capitalize when they’re down and strive to be the team that’s rising.”

As for what this weekend in Spain holds, Norris said he foresees a close competition among the biggest teams in the franchise, and any of them could take the win.