F1 News
Can Norris challenge Verstappen for the title? "100%"
Lando Norris has officially returned to the UK and to McLaren HQ after his maiden win in Miami. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, he has shared how confident he is within his team, and how he hopes he can continue to battle against world champion Max Verstappen.
Asked whether a title bid in a year's time is a reasonable target for Norris and his team, he said: "Next year? 100%. I'm saying that still with my feet on the ground."
"I want to believe we've got two great drivers. As Zak [Brown, CEO of McLaren] normally says, I've got an amazing team behind me. We have an amazing team behind us and we're closer than ever."
"I said at the beginning of this year, we can win races. I want to believe and I should have the confidence to say next year we can go for more, we can go for the next step. But we have a lot more work to do and we're working hard to try and achieve it."
The British team currently sits third in the Constructor's championship behind Red Bull and Ferrari. On Sunday, Norris was able to beat both team's drivers after finishing first in the Miami Grand Prix, securing his first win in Formula One.
'If I can prove myself again, I will'
Norris is looking to continue battling for the first place podium against world champion Max Verstappen. Miami was the first time Verstappen has been beaten on track since Singapore in 2023, and is the second time this season the Dutch driver has not finished first.
Asked on whether the dynamic between the pair if Norris continues to win, he replied: "We just have a lot of respect for him to me and me back to him. So I look forward to it. I want to challenge him. I want to race against him. I want to battle because I think he's one of the best drivers ever in Formula One. So if I can prove myself again, I will. If I can prove myself against him, I'm proving myself against one of the best. And that's exactly what I want to do."