New Delhi: Lando Norris has set his sights on chasing down World Championship leader Max Verstappen, believing it’s “definitely possible” if McLaren can maintain the form that saw them dominate the Singapore Grand Prix. The British driver put on a masterclass at The Marina Bay Circuit, beating Verstappen by more than 20 seconds to significantly reduce the Dutchman’s championship lead.
The 52-point gap between Norris and Verstappen is daunting, but with six rounds and three Sprint weekends left in the season, Norris is confident in McLaren’s progress.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, the 23-year-old expressed optimism: “This is what I’ve got to do, this is what I need, this is what we need to do as a team. We’ve executed things perfectly as a team, especially to get Oscar into P3.”
“But we need to do it at every race until the end of the year if I want to have a chance to get Max. We’re working hard and if I keep doing what I’ve done this weekend, then it’s definitely possible,” he said.
With 180 points still available, including those from Sprint races and fastest laps, Norris needs to close the gap by an average of 8.66 points per weekend to catch Verstappen by the final race in Abu Dhabi. Reflecting on the challenge ahead, Norris acknowledged the formidable task of competing against Red Bull and Verstappen:
“It’s against Max and Red Bull, the most dominant pairing Formula 1 has ever seen. But our car is quicker than theirs right now, and that’s a credit to the team. And that’s not necessarily changed in terms of… It’s the same team and it’s the same driver. So, I have some of the toughest competition that Formula 1 has ever seen in the sport..”
McLaren’s team principal Andrea Stella echoed Norris’ cautious optimism, noting that the title fight is still in Verstappen’s hands, but they were “encouraged and more optimistic” after Singapore. McLaren’s recent success also saw Oscar Piastri secure a podium finish, extending the team’s advantage over Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship to 41 points.
Stella emphasised the team’s goal, “We need to maximise every weekend, ensuring both drivers finish ahead of Max. If we can bring some upgrades, this mission will become easier. We recognize the potential now—finishing with two cars ahead of Max is possible.”
As the season resumes at the United States Grand Prix in October, the championship battle heats up, and all eyes will be on Norris as he continues his pursuit of Verstappen, hoping to take the fight down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.
–IANS
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