Lando Norris stays cautious about McLaren’s form in Monaco, warning that Red Bull and Verstappen remain top contenders despite outside doubts.
Norris was asked about the supposed superiority of McLaren F1 over Red Bull in Monaco this weekend, but the Woking team driver remains skeptical. According to him, there is no reason to believe the RB21 is inferior to the MCL39 on the streets of Monaco.
“What makes you say they’re weaker in low-speed corners? Last year? We’re in 2025 now. They won last weekend and have secured multiple pole positions this season,” said Norris.
“Max has won several races. He should have won in Saudi Arabia. There are also low-speed corners at Imola where they were very strong. I think we know the facts better than people on the outside. There’s a lot of misinformation about their car being poor.”
“They are very fast. We’ve said it throughout the season. People on the outside have underestimated them. We know they’re a threat — they have been all year and will continue to be, especially when you’re a team that has won many championships, particularly over the past five or ten years.”
“And they have Max. I don’t think you can doubt them. They won last weekend because they deserved to. They were good in low-speed corners, good in high-speed corners, and they have a good car.”
He remains cautious regarding the dominance many are predicting for him and his team in Monaco: “As we saw between Miami and Imola, we can look like heroes one weekend and be beaten the next. We take every weekend as it comes.”
“They could be exceptional here. That shows we’re still vulnerable in certain scenarios. Even if there have been weekends where we’ve been dominant, there have also been mistakes. We focus on the positives but want to correct the errors. That’s Formula 1.”
“I Don’t Enjoy Driving in Monaco”
The Briton is pleased to have a car capable of winning every weekend on paper: “It’s cool to be able to be optimistic about our chances of winning every weekend. That’s how it was at the end of last year, and we hope to win every weekend.”
“We’re disappointed if we don’t, and we were beaten by Red Bull who had a better car last week. We have a very good car, that doesn’t mean we should win everything, but we’re trying to make it happen.”
Asked whether he enjoys driving in Monaco, Norris revealed: “Not much. I don’t enjoy driving in Monaco — I’m happy after driving, but not during. But I still look forward to it because the experience is cool, unique in different ways.”
“I don’t think many drivers smile while racing in Monaco, and if they say they do, they’re probably lying. But when you cross the line after the final corner, that’s the first opportunity you have to smile and realise what you’ve done.”
“But it takes so much concentration and tunnel vision that it’s hard to enjoy it. You enjoy it when you’re driving more calmly again. But the experience is special, and when you look back at your lap, that’s when you smile.”
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