Norris Confident McLaren Can Rival Red Bull At Monaco Grand Prix

Lando Norris believes McLaren can intensify the F1 title fight as they head to Monaco for Sunday's Grand Prix. The 24-year-old has finished in the top two of the previous three races, claiming his maiden victory in Miami. He nearly finished ahead of Max Verstappen for a second time at Imola last Sunday, ending within one second of the Red Bull driver.

Reflecting on the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Norris mentioned that while he could have done things differently, he stands by his choices. "I did everything I believed was right at the time," Norris told Sky Sports. "When it's so close, you always think, 'What really could I have done that little bit differently,' but you always could have done something a little bit better or a little bit differently."

Norris acknowledged that Verstappen might have similar reflections. "I'm sure Max could have reviewed things and said the same thing. But it's nice to know it wasn't an easy one for him. It's about time someone put him under pressure, and he felt a bit of nerves again because I'm sure he hasn't felt it for a while," he added.

McLaren's official Twitter account shared Norris's sentiments, expressing gratitude for the team's support and determination to keep pushing forward.

Another special day to be a part of this team. Thank you for all your support, we're not stopping here. #ImolaGP 🇮🇹

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) May 19, 2024

Norris emphasised that while he doesn't want to be overconfident, he feels McLaren is now competitive against Red Bull and Ferrari. "We want to come into races now and be confident in racing against the Red Bull, racing against Ferrari because we are in the mix with them," he stated.

Before the race at Imola, Norris believed McLaren were not quite ready to challenge Red Bull for the title this year. Currently sitting fourth in the standings, 60 points behind Verstappen, he now thinks they can count themselves in the running this year.

"We're a third of the way through so we have a very long way to go, so I think many, many things can happen," Norris added. "But also, Monaco is a place where anything can happen. So, I would never say 'no' anymore."

Norris admitted that he had previously underestimated what McLaren could achieve as a team. "I've got fed up of myself kind of underestimating what we can achieve as a team. So, we're going to come in, we're positive, we've had a very good run of results - second, first, second - and there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to continue that here in Monaco."

Despite acknowledging that Monaco is not known to be their best track, Norris remains optimistic about their chances. "It's not known to be our best track but, at the same time, anything can happen," he concluded.