Lando Norris says it was “about time” Max Verstappen “felt a bit of nerves again” at the front of F1 and, in a change of mindset, the McLaren driver will not be underestimating the team’s prospects any longer ahead of a Monaco Grand Prix which could yet open up F1’s title fight.
Norris heads into F1’s most famous event on the back of the best sequence of results of his career having finished in the top-two in each of the past three grands prix, a run which included his maiden victory ahead of Verstappen in Miami.
The McLaren driver threatened a repeat triumph last Sunday in Imola when a late-race charge saw him finish within one second of Red Bull’s world champion. As Norris, his good friend, closed in, Verstappen was heard on team radio complaining about his car’s lack of grip and lapped traffic.
Speaking to Sky Sports News on Wednesday in Monaco, Norris was asked whether he had watched last Sunday’s race back and whether, had he known of the agitated nature of Verstappen’s late-race radio messages at the time, he could have done anything differently earlier in the race to further crank on the pressure on the race leader.
“I did everything I believed was right at the time,” said Norris.
“When it’s so close you always think ‘what really could I have done that little bit differently’ but you always could have done something a little bit better or a little bit differently. I’m sure Max could have reviewed things and said the same thing.
“But nice to know it wasn’t an easy one for him. It’s about time someone put him under pressure and he felt a bit of nerves again, because I’m sure he hasn’t felt it for a while.
“I don’t want to be overconfident – that’s never been me – but we want to come into races now and be confident in racing against the Red Bull, racing against Ferrari, because we are in the mix with them.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.
Although he crossed the line just 0.7s ahead of Norris, Verstappen’s win was nonetheless his fifth in the season’s first seven races and extended what stands as a commanding world championship lead to 48 points over his current nearest pursuer, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Norris is fourth in the standings, 60 points adrift of the summit.
The Englishman said after his win in Miami earlier this month that he “100 per cent” believed McLaren could challenge Red Bull for the title in 2025.
But with 17 races still to go in F1’s longest-ever season this year, Norris is also not ruling out an earlier challenge over the rest of 2024.
“We’re a third of the way through so we have a very long way to go, so I think many, many things can happen,” said the 24-year-old.
“But also Monaco is a place where anything can happen. So I would never say ‘no’ anymore.
“I’ve got fed up of myself kind of underestimating what we can achieve as a team. So we’re going to come in, we’re positive, we’ve had a very good run of results – second, first, second – and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to continue that here in Monaco.
“It’s not known to be our best track but, at the same time, anything can happen.”
McLaren are the most successful team in the history of the Monaco GP with 15 wins but the last of those came with Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
The team have only finished on the Principality’s podium once since 2011 – Norris’ third place in 2021 – and last year the Englishman and team-mate Oscar Piastri were lapped in ninth and 10th places respectively.
Last year’s Monaco GP came three races before McLaren introduced their game-changing car upgrade in Austria although slow-speed corners, of which Monaco’s street layout possesses in abundance, remained a weaker area for the team thereafter. Improving that trait was a partial focus of their major Miami upgrade and the MCL38 will be put to the test around the tight confines of Monte Carlo this weekend.
‘I wish I could go back in time to see Senna around Monaco’
Five of McLaren’s 15 Monaco wins were achieved by the legendary Ayrton Senna, in an unbeaten run from 1989 to 1993.
This weekend the Woking team are paying tribute to the team’s most successful driver, and the most successful around Monaco with six wins in total, 30 years on from his death by running their car in the colours of the Brazilian national flag.
Norris was born five years after Senna died and admits he would have loved to see the legendary driver race.
“Sadly, I never got to actually witness it myself. I wish I could have done,” he said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
McLaren have revealed an Ayrton Senna inspired livery for the Monaco GP, as they look to build on a positive few weeks for Lando Norris.
“Especially Senna around Monaco [which] is something everyone has heard of, seen, spoken of. I wish I could go back in time and witness that kind of thing.
“But It’s a celebration of Senna, what he did for Formula 1, what he achieved with McLaren, because it’s a motivation for not just me but everyone who’s part of the team for what he managed to achieve.
“The wins, the most successful driver here in Monaco as well, so a perfect place to do it.”
Sky Sports F1’s live Monaco GP Schedule
Thursday May 23
12.05pm: F3 Practice
1.30pm: F1 Drivers’ Press Conference
2pm: F2 Practice
Friday May 24
10am: F3 Qualifying
12pm: Monaco GP Practice One (session starts at 12.30pm)*
2pm: F2 Qualifying*
3.45pm: Monaco GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)*
5.30pm: The F1 Show
6.30pm: Indy 500 Final Practice
8.30pm: Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge
Saturday May 25
9.40am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Monaco GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)*
1.10pm: F2 Sprint*
2.15pm: Monaco GP Qualifying build-up*
3pm: Monaco GP Qualifying*
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday May 26
6.55am: F3 Feature Race
8.35am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Monaco GP build-up*
2pm: The MONACO GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Monaco GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook
5.30pm: The Indy 500
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Next up it’s time for the most-famous F1 race of them all – the Monaco Grand Prix. Watch every session from the famous street circuit from Friday live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday’s race at 2pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime