“It’s Not Like I’m Suddenly Worried”: Max Verstappen Downplays Lando Norris Threat Ahead of Spanish Showdown

Lando Norris pipped Max Verstappen to pole position at the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday. With only 0.020 seconds between the duo, this is the second time in a row that the Dutchman has lost out on pole by the slimmest of margins to one of Red Bull’s rivals. However, the three-time world champion has downplayed the recent threats posed by his competitors.

Speaking in the aftermath of the Qualifying session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the 26-year-old said (as quoted on X (formerly Twitter)), “McLaren has obviously been very strong in recent weeks, so it’s not like I’m suddenly worried.”

However, he did go on to admit that Red Bull need to pull their socks up. The Milton-Keynes-based team have indeed lost their dominant grip on the championship as the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren have caught up.

However, despite his and Red Bull’s struggles, Verstappen gave a shoutout to Norris for his impeccable performance during the qualifying session. “I think McLaren didn’t always get it right in qualifying. Now Lando drove a very good lap and you see the result right away,” he added.

Max Verstappen fears Red Bull are losing the developmental race

As things stand, Verstappen is not really worried about the fate of the championship. However, he has conceded that his team are losing out in the developmental war. According to the #1 driver, their rivals have done a much better job in developing their cars as compared to the Milton-Keynes-based outfit.

Racingnews365 quoted him as saying, “I think that everyone around us brings more updates than me. Of course, we have to work on that. Ultimately, they do better than us. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be in front of us. Of course, we are improving, but not enough compared to the rest.”

The duo of Leclerc and Norris are closing in on Verstappen’s lead in the driver’s standings. Moreover, with Norris on pole for the Grand Prix, the Dutchman will need to pull out a solid performance to ensure he maintains the upper hand in his title defense going forward.