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Verstappen on battle with Norris in F1 championship

Verstappen speaks on Norris' title charge: 'I don't look at it like that'

2 September at 13:24
5
  • Jeroen Immink

The gap between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris has shrunk slightly after the Italian Grand Prix, a race in which Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was victorious. It is clear that Norris currently has a much better car than Verstappen's RB20. The Dutchman himself is unsure how the Milton Keynes based team can solve its balance problems in the short term, either.

Verstappen not looking at Norris in the standings

After the race at the 'temple of speed', Verstappen was anything but satisfied with his car. The three-time world champion did realise however that Norris' P3 finish still provided some damage limitation. "In a way, yes, but that's not how I like to look at the championship. We have to go from our old fortunes, and today it's all good," Verstappen revealed.

Currently, the RB20 has a lot of problems. The car is not balanced and on the straights of Monza, Verstappen could not keep up with Lewis Hamilton. When asked how Verstappen is going to solve this, the three-time world champion himself is also lost for words: "Unfortunately, I don't have a degree in engineering or aerodynamics, but I think I gave everything that I could."

Work to do for Verstappen and Red Bull

At Monza, the Red Bull not only lacked speed compared to McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes. The balance was also not right, causing Verstappen not to turn in properly in some corners. "I think for everyone what we have to do. It's just now we have to turn it around, and it's not easy to do that very quickly. And then I hope if we can put that on the car that it becomes more driveable." Concluded Verstappen.

In the past six races, Verstappen has failed to win. Where at the beginning of the season the Dutchman seemed to be easily heading for a fourth world title, he now seems to be really tested, especially by a charging Norris.

This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon

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