Norris and Piastri are primed for fierce competition with Verstappen, as the F1 title race intensifies. Can McLaren stay ahead?
Max Verstappen continues to impress with his dominant performances, having secured a memorable pole position and a commanding victory at Suzuka.
With the third or fourth fastest car on the grid this season, Verstappen is now just one point behind Lando Norris in the standings. Could we unexpectedly see him battle for the title?
A lot will depend on the competitiveness of the McLaren F1 team, which showed strong potential during the winter testing in Bahrain.
So, as the season progresses, can Norris and McLaren maintain their edge, or will they start to fall behind?
Norris on McLaren’s Prospects in Bahrain
When asked about the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix, Lando Norris acknowledged that the situation is uncertain.
“It’s always hard to say. Probably, yes. After yesterday, our weakness was low-speed corners compared to them. Bahrain has fewer high-speed sections, so we lose some of our strengths and move closer to our weaknesses. Clearly, Red Bull is fast. I think Oscar and I both maximized the car on Saturday. Maybe a little more, but our theoretical times weren’t far off.”
Norris added that despite Verstappen’s solid performance, he doesn’t expect Red Bull to be far behind McLaren.
“Max is doing a great job, and Red Bull seems to have closed the gap a bit. But they’ve never been too far away. In Australia, Max was fighting for the win. In China, he wasn’t that far off either. And this weekend, he was strong. So, I expect him to be a contender at every race.”
Comparing Red Bull and McLaren’s Strengths
When asked where Red Bull has the edge over McLaren, Norris explained that high-speed performance has been McLaren’s strength.
“We were very strong in high-speed corners, probably the best car. But in low-speed corners, we’re still behind Red Bull, and that’s where we lost out on Saturday in qualifying and, regularly, in the race. So, there’s still a lot of areas to improve.”
Max Verstappen’s performance this year has been nothing short of impressive, but Norris isn’t surprised. He’s always respected Verstappen’s talent.
“I get asked a lot, ‘Are you surprised by Max?’ when he does something great like his lap on Saturday or his race on Sunday. I think people expect me to say yes, but I don’t see why. I’ve always respected Max. When you’re in the car, you know what’s good or not. I don’t need anyone to remind me of what Max can do. I’ve always had that respect. I know how strong he is. I think we’ll have some great battles. Some days he’ll win, some days it’ll be me.”
Title Battle: Norris vs Verstappen and Piastri
The title fight could see Norris battling not just with Verstappen but also with teammate Oscar Piastri. Norris isn’t ruling out the possibility of other teams getting involved, either.
“Yes, it looks like it,” Norris confirmed, but he doesn’t count out Ferrari or Mercedes. “I think we’ll see other teams challenge at times. Charles wasn’t far behind. The gap was bigger, but his second stint on hard tires was just as fast as mine. We didn’t pull away from him.”
He also noted that other cars are fast.
“We attacked hard early in the race, and it was a very rhythmical race. But for now, I think McLaren, Red Bull, and us three are doing a better job than the rest. George was quick this weekend. They might have struggled in Q3 for one reason or another, which affected them in the race. But if George had been on pole yesterday, I think he would’ve won. So, Saturday still plays a huge role, but right now, I think McLaren, Red Bull, and we three are a step ahead.”
Piastri Cautions About Leclerc and Russell
Oscar Piastri, in the other McLaren, shares similar thoughts about the team’s competitiveness. Does he believe McLaren has the best car?
“Honestly, I was disappointed to finish third on Saturday. I think our car is very competitive right now. There are still things we want to improve, but I know Lando is going to be a tough competitor since we have the same car, and I know Max will always be there, given everything he’s accomplished in his career.”
Piastri also agrees with Norris that small mistakes can be costly in such a competitive field.
“Like Lando said, it doesn’t take much to make a mistake and let others take advantage. Especially for me. We saw that on Saturday. Mercedes looked very threatening at times this weekend. And Ferrari too, I think people forget that Charles raced in China with basically half a front wing. If any other driver tried to do the same, they would’ve had to pit quickly. So yes, we have a small advantage, but this weekend showed that any small mistake and the competition is right there to capitalize on it.”
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Red Bull, McLaren Set for Intense F1 Championship Battle
Red Bull, McLaren Set for Intense F1 Championship Battle
Red Bull – McLaren Set for Intense F1 Championship Battle Red Bull – McLaren Set for Intense F1 Championship Battle