Lando Norris expressed concerns after the Spanish Grand Prix, as Max Verstappen further solidified his lead in the championship race.
During the race, Norris started from second position and emerged as the winner, defeating the pole-sitter who failed to secure the victory. However, Norris believes that he and McLaren have the ability to strongly compete for the world championship against Verstappen and Red Bull Racing.
This is the first time in the 2024 Formula 1 season that Norris has achieved such a high position in the standings. However, the English driver is concerned about the significant difference between him and the leader. Regardless of his current second position in the championship, Norris emphasized that his position is irrelevant. What really matters to the 26-year-old driver is the number of points he is behind the leader, which is currently 69 points, while Verstappen maintains his lead.
Norris further emphasized the importance of preventing Verstappen from further extending his lead at this stage of the season. McLaren cannot afford to let Verstappen gain an advantage in the championship standings. This is a critical moment for the team, and they must continue to improve to catch up to the Dutchman at the top.
Expressing his disappointment with the recent race in Barcelona, Norris believed that McLaren could have performed much better to recover points from Verstappen. He identified missed opportunities in Canada and Spain, where he finished in second place. Norris acknowledged that with better decision-making in Canada and a stronger start in Barcelona, McLaren could have emerged as the winner in both races. These moments highlighted the importance of small improvements that could have resulted in significant victories.
Looking at the upcoming races in Austria, Norris mentioned that the track has a different design, with a focus on high-speed sections. He acknowledged that Red Bull may have a slight advantage in high-speed corners compared to McLaren. Despite this, the 26-year-old driver is confident in McLaren’s performance in other areas of the circuit.
Lando Norris firmly believes that McLaren has the potential to surpass Red Bull in the upcoming races, although they need to make improvements in the areas where Red Bull has a slight advantage. Fans are delighted with Norris’s performance and have high hopes for his future races, hoping to see him achieve more victories as he did in Miami.
