Lando Norris identified as Max Verstappen's 'most consistent challenger' by Red Bull ahead of Austrian GP | F1 News

Lando Norris has 'emerged from the pack' as Max Verstappen's 'most consistent challenger', with Red Bull expecting the McLaren driver to remain a big threat to them at their home Austrian GP this weekend. end.

Verstappen and Norris have finished in the top two positions in five of the last six Grands Prix.

Although the reigning champion won five of those races to Norris's one, the McLaren driver finished on the tail of the Red Bull driver at Imola, Montreal and, last Sunday, Barcelona, ​​suggesting he could yet prove a real title threat for Verstappen during the season. 14 races remaining in the record-length 2024 season.

Norris' final second place finish in Spain moved him ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc into a career-best second place in the drivers' championship, with the 24-year-old trailing Verstappen by 69 points.

And reflecting on his driver's narrow two-second victory over Norris at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said: “If Lando had a track position he would have been hard to beat them.

“It was so close between the two of them and they were 18 seconds ahead of the others.

“I would say Lando came out of the pack as the most consistent challenger.”

Talk to Sky Sports NewsHorner added: “We've had four pole sitters in the last four races. It's very, very close.

“But Lando, I would say he seems to have worked on these tires, McLaren have done a great job as well and they are going to push us hard for the rest of the year.”

Norris, who won his first Grand Prix in early May at the Miami GP, has now finished second in races 10 times – nine times as runner-up behind Verstappen – since McLaren introduced its transformative upgrade to its car at from last year's Austrian GP.

A lap of the Red Bull Ring takes just over 60 seconds and Horner said ahead of this weekend's Sprint event: “On such a short lap it's going to be so close and we expect McLaren and Lando be fast again.”

“Ferrari and Mercedes? Who knows. If you look at the gap with these guys after the race, it was quite similar to last year. The one who increased was Lando.”

Indeed, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff – whose improving team finished third and fourth in Barcelona ahead of Ferrari – acknowledged that Red Bull and McLaren are currently ahead of the pack.

“The McLaren was very fast (in Spain). How fast, I don't know, I think Max always has a little bit in his pocket and you see, that makes the difference,” Wolff said.

“But there’s definitely not much at the moment between these two and they definitely set the benchmark.”

Is Norris a real title threat to Verstappen?

Although Norris' championship deficit to Verstappen has widened by 13 points over the last two races despite McLaren having chances to win both – with the Dutchman now enjoying a season-record lead at the top of the ranking with these 69 points – that could still change. quickly if the McLaren driver manages to convert the ever-increasing pace of his car into a series of victories given the number of points still up for grabs this season (396).

This weekend's Sprint event in Austria, which includes a 100km race on Saturday in addition to the main grand prix on Sunday, offers eight extra points compared to most events.

Asked about his title chances after Spain, Norris said: “We should have got some points back from Max. Potentially there was a chance to beat him in Canada. So two races where I finished second and he won.

“But Max has to stop winning to achieve that. Yes, even if I went second in the championship, it doesn't matter. I don't care if I was second or 10th.

“It's more about the gap from what Max is and he's expanding it further right now and that's something we can't afford to do or we can't afford to let him get away at this stage of the season.

“But we can do it. You know, if I had made better decisions in Canada and had a better start (Sunday), we could have won two races. And I know there are many , and there's always been a lot of 'shoulda, woulda, coulda,' but we've got what it takes. It's just a matter of putting it all together.”

“Red Bull knows where to improve”

Norris won a thrilling qualifying duel with Verstappen to claim only his second career pole position in Spain, but almost immediately lost that advantage early in the race when he dropped from first to third behind his rival for victory and a fast-starting George Russell at the first corner.

After losing crucial track position, McLaren then extended Norris' first two stints from the Red Bull, with the Englishman returning to Verstappen with the pace each time on fresher tires following his pit stops before to run out of laps to attempt an overtake at the end of the race.

“McLaren certainly looks fast at the end of stints, which we've seen in a few races now,” Horner noted.

“So their degradation looks good. But that's offset a bit by the strategy and the overlap in tire life.”

“We had enough to get the job done and this is the seventh win in our 10 races. Four of them have been very difficult but, once again, the team is working at such a level that we continue to deliver the pit stops, strategy, etc. Max demonstrated once again why he is the world champion – in the key moments he delivers.”

Horner added: “He's fantastic under pressure, he's always been fantastic. Last year was a unicorn year, now it's a more normal year. It's not normal to win every race, all the time, and we have to fight very hard, very hard for them and Max makes the difference.

“But we know where we need to improve. We have a better understanding of where our strengths and weaknesses lie and we are doing enough at the moment to continue to increase our championship lead.”

Austrian GP schedule live from Sky Sports F1

Thursday June 27
12:30 p.m.: Drivers’ Press Conference

Friday June 28
7:50 a.m.: F3 training
9 a.m.: F2 training
11:00 a.m.: Austrian GP Practice One (session starts at 11:30 a.m.)
12:55 p.m.: F3 Qualifying
1:50 p.m.: F2 qualifying
3:00 p.m.: Austrian GP sprint qualifying (session starts at 3:30 p.m.)*

Saturday June 29
8:25 a.m.: F3 Sprint
10 a.m.: Austrian GP Sprint (race start at 11 a.m.)*
12:25 p.m.: F2 Sprint
2:00 p.m.: preparation for qualifying for the Austrian GP
3:00 p.m.: Austrian GP qualifying
5 p.m.: Ted’s qualification log

Sunday June 30
7:25 a.m.: F3 featured race
8:55 a.m.: F2 featured race
12:30 p.m.: Grand Prix Sunday: preparation for the Austrian GP*
2:00 p.m.: The AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX*
4 p.m.: Checkered flag: reaction from the Austrian GP*
5 p.m.: Ted’s notebook

*also live on Sky Sports Main Event

F1's triple bill continues at next week's Austrian Grand Prix – with the Sprint format returning to the Red Bull Ring. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with the big race on Sunday at 2pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month subscription – No contracts, cancel anytime