In an impressive display, he surpassed his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez by a significant margin at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Lando Norris has voiced concerns that Max Verstappen’s dominant streak in Formula One may be discouraging fans.
Verstappen has been unstoppable this season, securing his fifth consecutive pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix.
In an outstanding performance, he outperformed his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez by a notable margin at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Since his dramatic victory over Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi in 2021, Verstappen has won the majority of races and is on track to secure his fourth consecutive title.
Toto Wolff, the team boss of Mercedes, has already admitted that catching Verstappen this season seems unlikely.
Prior to the Chinese Grand Prix, Norris, who has a close relationship with Verstappen off the track, expressed a critical perspective on the current state of the sport.
“It is frustrating for viewers, but it has always been this way.
“Now, we are witnessing more dominance than ever, so it will never be the most exciting to watch, and the only thrilling races have been the ones without Max,” Norris said.
He also acknowledged the potential negative impact on fan engagement, stating, “Of course it will. Of course it will.
“There is no way to deny it.
“If you see the same driver winning every single time without a challenge, it does start to become boring, and that is obvious.”
Norris highlighted the exceptional skills and circumstances that contribute to Verstappen’s success: “You have one of the greatest drivers in Formula One in one of the most dominant cars, and it is a lethal combination.
“If Max wasn’t there and you had two Sergio Perezs, it wouldn’t be the same.”
Verstappen demonstrated his prowess in Saturday’s sprint race, initially falling behind but overtaking Hamilton spectacularly and finishing with a significant lead.
Fernando Alonso was the closest competitor not in a Red Bull during qualifying, but he trailed by almost half a second.
Reflecting on the current competitive landscape, Norris was not surprised by Red Bull’s lead.
“Am I surprised by how far ahead Red Bull is?
“No.
“When you understand how difficult it is to get it right, then it makes sense.
“They are simply intelligent individuals,” he explained.
Despite hopes for a more level playing field, Norris acknowledged the challenge of catching up to Red Bull.
Mercedes finds itself in a slump, far from its previously dominant form, with Hamilton starting far back in 18th place and George Russell in eighth at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Norris, who qualified fourth, commented on Mercedes’ decline: “If you consider how dominant Mercedes has been in the past, you would have expected more from them.
“I certainly did, especially considering how much they have claimed over the past few years: ‘ah, now we have got it,’ and they never seem to.”
He added, “We have experienced that, where we have encountered another obstacle, so it is difficult.
“But they were almost more competitive last year than they are now, and you simply wouldn’t expect that from them. But it demonstrates how complex this sport can be.”