Red Bull Racing, after obtaining 3 back to back constructors and driver championships, kicked off the 2024 F1 season on a high. Max Verstappen, the defending champion, won five of the seven races held so far and faced no competition until the Miami Grand Prix.
With a mega set of upgrades, McLaren beat Red Bull as Lando Norris finally attained his maiden race win by edging past Max Verstappen at the Miami Grand Prix. Norris also came close to Verstappen at Imola and riding high on confidence, the British driver challenged the reigning world champion ahead of the iconic Monaco Grand Prix.
Lando Norris Warns Max Verstappen Of Not Underestimating McLaren In Monaco
McLaren driver Lando Norris put an end to his five-year-long winless draught at the Miami Grand Prix this year as he beat Max Verstappen to claim P1. With a couple of more upgrades in Imola, McLaren once again showed massive signs of improvement as Lando finished just 0.7 seconds off Verstappen, missing out on a second consecutive win. However, Norris does not regret anything from the Imola race as he feels he gave everything he had that day. And with 17 races still left on the calendar, he would have plenty of opportunities to beat Red Bull this year. The British driver added that he is guilty of underestimating McLaren’s ability to beat Red Bull as the team did a wonderful job this year.
He finds McLaren to be the closest to Red Bulls alongside Ferrari. And ahead of the historic Monaco Grand Prix, Lando Norris is confident of putting Max Verstappen under pressure. Lando said that it was time someone tested Max’s nerves as the latter has gotten way too comfortable at the top in recent years. “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,” said Norris while talking to Sky Sports. While Monaco is not necessarily a track that suits McLaren, Norris is confident of a fitting fight as the team is working day and night behind the scenes to optimize the race pace of MCL38. Currently, Lando Norris is trailing 60 points behind Verstappen in the drivers standings. But with MCL38 finally showing a solid pace, Max’s title remains under threat.
“We Need To Be 100%,” Verstappen Worried Of Closing Field
Ahead of the highly anticipated Monaco Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has fired warning for Red Bull to keep a watch as McLaren and Ferrari have closed the gap in the field. Verstappen said he knew coming into Imola that the field has closed down.
While Imola wasn’t his best race, Max Verstappen feels Red Bull needs to be at their 100% to keep the rivals at bay. They no longer have it easy and must continue to strive for excellence and not get way too comfortable. “It’s never easy, we haven’t been at our 100% the last few weekends,” said Verstappen at Monaco.
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