This repeated mistake could cost Norris, says former F1 driver
F1 News
McLaren have finished strong ahead of the summer break, sitting second behind Red Bull in the Constructors. Nevertheless, the gap between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris has grown, after the Brit finished behind the Dutchman in Belgium. Nevertheless, former F1 racing driver, and Sky analyst, Karun Chandhok, believes the team should remain optimistic.
Unlike Red Bull, McLaren have made it onto the podium in the last two races. This has helped the team significantly to score points and close the gap between them and the Austrian team. They have also been able to capitalise on Sergio Perez's recent performance. Nevertheless, with both McLaren and Red Bull drivers scoring points in Belgium, the battle continues. In a video shared on Sky Sports F1's X account, Chandhok revealed why the team does not need to be too concerned as of yet: "I think they'll feel really optimistic about the next 10 races coming up," Chandhok said.
What can Norris do to improve?
In recent races, it's Oscar Piastri who has impressed. Despite starting on pole in Hungary, Norris was not able to to seal the win, unlike his teammate. In Belgium, it was the Australian once again on the podium. Chandhok even believes that if it was not for his pit stop error, he could have won: "They've had a really strong run of form. I think Piastri is really starting to come good. If you look at the race he drove at Spa, he could have won that race."
On the other hand, Norris has had some struggles, losing crucial points which could have closen the gap between him and Verstappen in the Drivers' standings. "He looked very downbeat, understandably, because he made a mistake on the opening lap. He couldn't really recover," the former F1 driver said. For Norris, there is one weakness which needs to be addressed, according to Chandhok, if he wishes to earn the top spot: "We've seen in Spain, in the sprint race in China, in Budapest - we've had three previous occassions where on the start and the opening lap Lando lost out and it's cost him at the end. It's something for him to think about over the summer break," he concluded.