Lando Norris has also commented on the current state of affairs in the championship battle. According to teammate Oscar Piastri, the title fight is increasingly becoming a duel between the McLaren drivers, but the Brit does not want to rule out Max Verstappen just yet. ‘Max is still one of the best drivers ever,’ Norris concludes.
The difference between championship leader Oscar Piastri and third-place Max Verstappen is 81 World Championship points. Lando Norris, who currently sits in second place, has a 65-point lead over the Dutchman. This increasingly suggests that the World Cup will be heading to Woking this year. Piastri also believes that it has now become a real duel between himself and teammate Norris.
“For several weekends now, it’s mainly been between Lando and me,” the Australian said in the press conference. “Lando is definitely my biggest competitor.” However, Norris does not entirely agree with his teammate that the title fight is now only between the two McLaren drivers. The Brit believes that, in theory, Verstappen still has a chance. “It’s never impossible,” Norris tells the media in Hungary. “We proved that last year. But he does have a significant deficit.”
Better Team
McLaren started 2024 as the fourth fastest team on the grid, but – thanks to a series of good upgrades – took the lead in the constructors’ championship after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. “We have a team that is much more stable and is performing better than Red Bull at the moment,” Norris adds. “But Max is still one of the best drivers ever in Formula 1. So as a driver, I would certainly not rule him out yet. However, we do have the better car, and a better team, so I am confident that we can stay ahead of him.”
