Breaking: Lando Norris demands FIA intervention following Verstappen F…read more

Lando Norris demands FIA intervention following Verstappen F…read more

McLaren’s Lando Norris struck a balanced note of pride and caution after finishing runner-up to Max Verstappen in Sunday’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, conceding that Red Bull’s pace was simply out of reach despite one of McLaren’s strongest collective performances of the season.

Starting from fourth on the grid at Imola, Norris initially held station through the opening laps, shadowing George Russell’s Mercedes while keeping an eye on team-mate Oscar Piastri, who had lined up third. The early phase unfolded without incident, yet the strategic picture changed when Piastri dived into the pits for his first tyre stop. Norris, on a longer opening stint, used the clear air to close Russell down and then executed one of the day’s standout overtakes around the outside of the sweeping left-hander at Turn 5. With Russell struggling on fading tyres, Norris committed to the outside line, banking on the Mercedes driver’s renowned racecraft to avoid contact. “It’s George,” Norris later reflected. “He’s fair, he’s quick—but when you see someone sliding around you have to pounce. It was risky, sure, but that’s racing.”

That move promoted the 24-year-old Briton to second, though Verstappen was already steadily edging clear out front. Even after a mid-race safety-car intervention compressed the field—prompted by debris on the start-finish straight—Norris admitted he never truly had the pace to threaten the world champion. Both McLarens opted to pit under the caution, but because Norris had taken his stop first, he re-emerged behind Piastri. Armed with slightly fresher rubber, he quickly reclaimed the position once green-flag running resumed, but Verstappen’s advantage proved insurmountable.

“It was a long afternoon, and overtaking isn’t straightforward here anymore,” Norris said in parc fermé. “Max did a solid job. They were just that little bit faster and we couldn’t hang on. From our side, bringing home second and third is still a fantastic result, but we’re under no illusions: if we want wins, we need a bit more everywhere—traction, straight-line speed, tyre life, you name it.”

While Verstappen’s victory extends Red Bull’s lead in both championships, McLaren can take genuine encouragement from a double-podium. The MCL39 continues to show flashes of brilliance on circuits that reward aerodynamic efficiency, and team principal Andrea Stella suggested further upgrades are slated for the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix. For Norris personally, the haul of 18 points consolidates his position in the top three of the drivers’ standings—an impressive rebound after a bruising weekend in Miami earlier this month.

The Imola weekend also showcased the deepening intra-team respect between Norris and Piastri. The pair traded sector times throughout practice and qualifying, and their late-race battle, though tense, was conducted without radio complaints or wheel-to-wheel contact. “Oscar and I push each other hard, but always fairly,” Norris said. “When both cars finish on the podium, everyone back at the factory can feel proud of what we’re building.”

Still, the 60-lap contest underscored the scale of the task confronting McLaren if they are to halt Red Bull’s momentum. Norris was typically forthright in his assessment: “We’re not far off, but in Formula 1 a couple of tenths can look like a mile. Today shows we’re the best of the rest, but the target is clear—and it’s wearing blue and red.”

With seven rounds down and 17 to go, McLaren’s next opportunity arrives on the tight confines of Montréal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. If the lessons from Imola translate into another step forward, Norris may soon find himself not just warning McLaren about Verstappen’s pace, but challenging it head-on.