Verstappen sees Norris keeping up for long time in title race: 'They keep winning, that's for sure'

With his expected grid penalty due to an engine change, Max Verstappen faces a major challenge: Will the Red Bull Racing driver be able to drive to the front of the field after a grid penalty of ten places, as he did during the Belgian Grand Prix in the past two seasons? Either way, he will have to take on the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Norris has moved up to second in the championship after his excellent run in recent months. The difference with Verstappen is 76 points in the Dutchman's favour going into the last race before the summer break. However, this is not a margin that Verstappen can rest on his laurels.

During the media day, the three-time world champion agreed that Norris is going to be a serious threat until the end of the season. "They are the dominant force and they keep winning, then, for sure. But, at the end of the day, we just need to focus on ourselves, right? Because I think we can do things better maybe as well in terms of optimising the car performance. So that's where my attention goes. You have the championship in the back of your mind. But I think we first need to focus on just trying to find a bit more performance in the car," Verstappen said.

Verstappen back on his native soil

It is well known that Verstappen and Norris are good friends. Perhaps their common background has created a bond, as both have a Belgian mother - although they do not race for Belgium. Speaking about his native country, Verstappen said: "I'm always very happy to be here. I grew up not too far from here, and it's my favourite track, so being here in Spa is always very nice."

This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy