Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff believes that McLaren has what it takes to get the better of Red Bull in the Constructors’ championship this year. The Woking-based team, led by Lando Norris, won the Dutch GP, which helped them cut the deficit to Red Bull in the standings.
Norris won dominantly, finishing 22 seconds ahead of second-placed Max Verstappen, ending his winning streak at Zandvoort. The Briton’s teammate Oscar Piastri did not finish in the top three, but managed P4- two places ahead of Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull.
Wolff looked back on McLaren’s performance at the Dutch GP, and stated,
“Today’s race shows that they are a team that can win the constructors’ championship.”
After the Dutch GP, McLaren’s gap to Red Bull came down to just 30 points. Wolff also noted how McLaren was considerably faster and insisted that Red Bull would be on the back foot for the remainder of the season. However, Wolff did not share the same optimism for Norris‘ driver’s championship chances.
Toto Wolff: “Today’s race shows that they are a team that can win the constructors’ championship. The drivers’ title is difficult, given Max’s seventy [71] point advantage. But the constructors’ title is absolutely possible.” https://t.co/NX62EHNDgV
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) August 26, 2024
The Bristol-born driver’s win last Sunday means he is 70 points behind Verstappen, but Wolff stated that the Dutchman is too far ahead.
Norris is taking it one race at a time
Norris knows that his pursuit for the championship is going to be long and hard. To dethrone the Red Bull driver, he cannot make any mistakes in the races moving forward, which is why he doesn’t want to think about the distant future. He said to Sky Sports,
“I’m still 70 points behind Max, so it’s pretty stupid to think of anything at the minute. I am taking it one race at a time. There’s no point thinking about the rest.”
Norris revealed that he did not expect the gap between himself and Verstappen to be as big as it was at Zandvoort. However, if their pace superiority lasts, it would be easier for Norris to dream about winning his first World championship.
As things stand, Norris needs to aim for a win in all of the remaining nine races. If he also secures the fastest lap in each race and Verstappen finishes P2 every time, Norris would win the championship by just one point. However, if either driver falters in any race, the other will gain a massive advantage.
