Norris expects to feel the heat from Red Bull: 'Definitely a bit better'

At the start of the season, it looked to be another year where Verstappen and Red Bull would dominate. Now, the title battle has become more competitive, with four teams - Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, McLaren, and now Mercedes - fighting at the front. McLaren have seen a strong improvement following their upgrades in Miami, which has instilled a renewed confidence in Norris, who sits just 69 points behind Verstappen in the Drivers' standings. "I'm confident every weekend we go into now, the car's performing extremely well. We're always there or thereabouts within a couple of tenths of pole, and that's all we can ask for," he said. "I think we need to bring something a little bit more just to make our life a bit easier, but it's close. Now we have, what, four teams who I think can easily fight for pole positions and fight for wins potentially."

Can Norris win against Verstappen?

The battle between the Brit and the Dutchman has become increasingly close since Miami, particularly in Imola, Canada, and now Spain. Although Norris remains confident McLaren and himself do have the speed, he still believes they are missing one thing which their competitors have. "It's a very different layout again, high speed. I think we have a bit to work to do compared to Red Bull. Red Bulls seem definitely a bit better in high speed corners than we are. Potentially we're lacking a touch in that area, but the rest of it is strong."

Nevertheless, the McLaren driver expects a strong weekend. He has frequently featured on the podium at the Red Bull Ring, securing his first F1 podium there in 2020. He subsequently featured on the podium in 2021, and finished fourth last year. "It's been one of my best tracks in terms of my own competitiveness and my most successful tracks. I'm excited to see all the papaya in the grandstands and have a good weekend," he concluded.