Lando Norris believes that Max Verstappen is back in the title race after the Dutchman dominated the last two race weekends. The four-time world champion won the Italian GP with the biggest margin of the season, before completing a grand slam in Baku.
However, this leaves Verstappen 69 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri and 44 points behind Norris. With just seven races and three sprint events to go until the end of the season, there isn’t much manoeuvrability for Verstappen. Nonetheless, Norris is adamant that the Red Bull driver is still in with a shout of glory.
Lando Norris claims Red Bull upgrades have propelled Max Verstappen into the title fight
Lando Norris believes that the upgrades Red Bull introduced in Monza have put the RB21 on an even keel with the MCL39. The Brit claims that he will be in a fight with Verstappen for top honours in Singapore, and he is still a protagonist in the world championship fight.
After being asked by the media if Verstappen is still a threat, the Brit replied, “[He is] genuinely a challenger. I think if you go back to the beginning of the season, they were challenging at the first six, seven races for race wins, challenging us in the Drivers’ [Championship].
“We brought some upgrades and improved a little bit. A couple of weeks ago, they brought some upgrades and it seems like that’s kind of put them back on the same level as us.
“I think we’re still expecting and we’re still coming into every race with the ambition, the goal of winning, wanting to dominate as a team and continue the form that we’ve had all season. We expect battles, especially with him [Verstappen].”
Norris will want to channel the energy from last season, which saw him dominate around the streets of Singapore. He himself is 25 points behind his teammate and needs to keep closing the gap with races running out.
Is Max Verstappen back in the title race?
The Azerbaijan GP was a major step in adding Max Verstappen to the title race conversation. With Piastri failing to score and Norris languishing down in P7, the Dutchman closed the gap significantly. However, the four-time world champion was quick to pour cold water on his chances, citing the 69-point gap.
Speaking to the media in Singapore, Max said, “I’m not really thinking about [the Championship] to be honest. It’s a big gap, but for me, I just see it race by race. I’m not too worried or stressed about anything.”
Max Verstappen and Red Bull Back in Form and Dominating Races After a Rocky F1 Season
Singapore is a track which requires higher levels of downforce. This is an area the RB21 has struggled with this season, with the Hungarian GP showing the car’s weakness. The last two races haven’t required high levels of downforce, and Verstappen took advantage by beating the McLarens.
However, with the new upgrades on the car, Red Bull hopes that the car is not circuit-dependent, and they have rectified the grmlins which have plagued them so far this season. If they are quick here and can win, Verstappen will be considered a rival for the McLaren pair. He has little room to play with, so he must win as many races as he can.
