Lando Norris believes he and McLaren are ready to take the fight to Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton for wins in the upcoming 2024 season. However, the 24-year-old believes that fighting for a championship is likely to still be a distant dream for him. He believes that although McLaren were arguably the most improved side in 2023, fighting for the title will take a lot more not just for the team but also for himself. As quoted by the racer.com, Norris said,
“If you ask me do I think I can win races this year, I’d be more inclined to say yes, but to go straight into winning races and a championship, I think that’s another level. Both for myself — racing at the very top is not something I’ve necessarily done for a while — but also for the whole team, for everyone here at the factory, it’s a different kind of level and excitement; for mechanics, a different level of pressure and excitement“.
While Norris expressed his reservations about fighting for a championship at this stage, he made it clear that he is confident in his abilities that he can fight Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton for wins. The 24-year-old also had some tight battles with Hamilton in the 2023 season when McLaren had a remarkable recovery in the second half of the campaign.
Norris took his compatriot to the limit at both the British and the United States Grand Prix last season. While Norris lost the battle on track to Hamilton, who was ultimately disqualified, in Austin, he did manage to beat the seven-time champion during their home race in Silverstone.
Meanwhile, another reason why Norris has often been in the news lately is because of his future. Although the 24-year-old did sign a contract extension with McLaren, the links that he has had to Red Bull just do not stop. Amidst such speculations, Norris himself explained in an interview why he is not keen to partner Verstappen at Red Bull.
Why is Lando Norris hesitant to join Max Verstappen at Red Bull?
In an interview with Sky Sports earlier this year, Lando Norris explained that he does not want to join Max Verstappen at Red Bull as the team is built around the Dutchman. Since the three-time champion has been at Milton Keynes for a few years now, Norris feels that he will take time to adjust if he joins them.
As a result, he said in conclusion that it will be an unwise decision for him to join his good friend at Red Bull. After stating the same, Norris explained why he believes Verstappen is currently the best driver in F1. The Briton believes that Verstappen has more than proven in the past few years that he is the man to beat at the moment.
Moreover, the stats do back Norris’ claims. Verstappen was in a league of his own in the 2023 season as he registered a record 19 wins out of 22 races, en route to his third consecutive championship.
