Norris faces crucial test at Imola: can he beat Verstappen again?

McLaren presented ten updates for the MCL38 ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. Nine of the updates improved performance, which was reflected on the track. Lando Norris recorded his first victory in Formula 1.

The good pace in the race was particularly impressive. Norris was lucky with the timing of the safety car and the fact that the safety car picked up Max Verstappen instead of the Briton. Still, Norris' pace was impressive both before and after the safety car.

Can McLaren compete for the world title?

Miami is a street circuit with a quirky character. As a result, a win is not necessarily a sign that the updates will work everywhere. The sprint format also meant that tuning the new parts may not have been perfect. The positive, however, is that McLaren always struggled at Miami and now excelled.

In that respect, Imola is the ideal test for McLaren. This is an old-fashioned circuit and one that suits the team very well. Lando Norris in particular performed well here over the years. In 2021 and 2022, the last two editions of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Norris finished on the podium, notably in seasons when McLaren was certainly not competing for podiums on a regular basis. Norris' podium in 2021, for instance, was one of four podiums that season. In 2022, it was McLaren's only podium that year.

In Miami, McLaren was the only team with such a large list of updates. It is no longer a secret that Ferrari will enter Imola with a sizeable update package, and Red Bull Racing is also hoping to present updates for the RB20. How the updates from all the teams will compare will say a lot about the rest of the season.

Can Norris make things difficult for Verstappen?

So far, Red Bull Racing has once again proved to be the best in the class, but the team has been beaten twice now, in Australia by Ferrari and in Miami by McLaren. With the updates, both teams hope to continue their fight with the Austrian team more regularly, starting in Imola. 

For Norris, it is also an important test. In Miami, despite the updates, he was the inferior of his teammate in Miami. The safety car played into Norris' hands and he made good use of it. In Imola, however, Piastri will also get all the updates and the Australian will be keen to show that he too can win with McLaren's car.

Norris, however, has an advantage. Unlike his team-mate, the Briton has driven at the Imola circuit before and, as mentioned, has been successful before. So this is the moment for Norris to show that he can really compete with Verstappen and Red Bull Racing.