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lando norris mclaren challenger max verstappen 2024

Norris believes McLaren can fight for title with Verstappen in 2024

5 November 2023 at 21:29
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  • Matt Gretton
  • Editor-in-Chief

Lando Norris believes he has a chance to fight for the world title with Max Verstappen in 2024. The Brit is currently fifth in the championship, but that could just change next year.

The start of the season was dramatic for McLaren. Norris scored just 12 points in the first nine Grands Prix. In the 11 races since Norris has added 173 points to that total. An update in Austria provided a huge leap forward, and since then Norris has been fighting for the podium spots. Is a title fight possible in 2024?

Norris is chasing Verstappen

"Maybe. Since we added this upgrade to Austria, I've been the second-highest-scoring driver on the grid. I think we've been the second-highest-scoring team, potentially. Of course, we've taken some massive steps forward. At the same time, considering and talking about fighting the Red Bull, I think it's still a very, very good thing for what we've achieved this year," Norris said at the press conference.

"We're talking about one of the best drivers in Formula 1 ever, in one of the most dominated cars. We're talking about a guy who's won 17. One of the most dominated years in Formula 1 history. For us to go from where we were in Bahrain to getting close and talking about fighting a Red Bull, I think are very good signs for us.

"We know we still have plenty more things to come next year. I'm excited. Having that as a thought is quite a faraway thought. I don't want to think of it just now. There's no point thinking of it until next year. But I'll be optimistic, and I believe we can do it as a team," Norris concluded.