Lando Norris has had enough of the negative coverage surrounding Red Bull. In the run-up to the Monaco Grand Prix, he was repeatedly asked about the potential advantage he might have over rival Max Verstappen, whose RB21 was allegedly ill-suited to the famous street circuit. Norris emphasized that McLaren knows the facts and therefore understands that Red Bull remains a formidable opponent – in Monaco and on other circuits as well.
During a media session prior to the race weekend, Norris was asked about Red Bull’s supposed weakness in slow corners. Would McLaren have an advantage over Verstappen in this regard, given the twisty nature of Monaco? “What makes you say they’re less good in slow corners?” Norris responded dryly. “Based on last year? Oh, but we’re in 2025 now,” he put the respective journalist in his place.
“Well, they (Red Bull, ed.) won last weekend,” Norris added. “They have already secured pole position multiple times this season, and Verstappen has won several races by now. Moreover, he should have actually won in Saudi Arabia.” Piastri crossed the finish line first in Jeddah, but without a time penalty, Verstappen would likely have beaten him. “There were also slow corners in Imola where Red Bull was very strong,” Norris explained. “I think we know more facts than people from outside. There’s a lot of negative coverage about how bad their car supposedly is.”
‘Verstappen Rightfully Won in Imola’
“They are very fast,” the Brit concluded. “We’ve been saying that all season. They are constantly underestimated. We know they pose a threat – they always have, and they always will. They didn’t just win multiple championships in the past five years for no reason. And they have Verstappen. That’s another reason why you should never doubt them. Red Bull rightfully won last weekend in Imola,” Lando Norris admitted. “They simply have a good car.”
As for the speed of McLaren, Norris is cautious. “One weekend we can be heroes, and the next we can be defeated,” he explained. In Miami, both McLaren drivers built a lead of over thirty seconds, but in Imola, they were put back in their place by Verstappen. “We take each weekend as it comes,” he concluded. “We could be great in Monaco – we’ll see.”
