Verstappen has emerged victorious in five out of seven races this season, achieving a remarkable streak of seven pole positions. However, the triple world champion acknowledged that Norris is narrowing the gap. When asked about Norris’s recent remarks regarding the possibility of contending for the title with McLaren’s current performance, Verstappen responded, “Everyone should adopt that mindset.”
“After their recent races, they are truly in the mix. Although they are currently trailing by a significant number of points, a sudden winning streak can quickly change the situation,” Verstappen stated during a press conference in Monaco on Thursday.
Former champions McLaren have made impressive progress since July of last year, particularly with Norris securing six second-place finishes in the remaining races of the season.
Norris achieved his first Formula 1 victory in Miami earlier this month after finishing in second place in Shanghai. He also secured second place at Italy’s Imola circuit last weekend and third place in Australia in March. In the last five races, Norris has finished on the podium in four of them, never placing lower than eighth.
Alongside Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Norris is one of only two drivers, aside from Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez, to have secured a victory since 2022.
Currently occupying fourth place in the standings ahead of Round 8 in Monaco, Norris trails Verstappen by a significant 60 points, with 17 rounds remaining. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is currently Verstappen’s closest rival, trailing by 48 points.
Verstappen dominated last year’s season, winning 19 out of 22 races, setting a record for the most dominant season. However, Ferrari and McLaren have each secured one victory in this campaign.
In a separate statement regarding his championship prospects, Norris stated, “Over the past four weeks, we haven’t really thought about it. We focus on achieving good results, and things tend to fall into place. We have definitely put ourselves in contention.”
“We suffered significant point losses in the first couple of weekends, which has impacted us. However, we are only a third of the way through the season, so there are plenty of opportunities ahead. We know that there are still developments in the pipeline, and if circumstances change, we can easily catch up to some of the other teams.”
Norris added, “Alongside Ferrari, we are likely the only team where both cars consistently perform well in every session and race during qualifying.” Norris’s best result in Monte Carlo was a third-place finish in 2021, achieved over four visits to the circuit. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)