F1 drivers’ title not just a McLaren duel, says Lando Norris

BARCELONA – Lando Norris can retake the Formula One championship lead from Oscar Piastri in Spain this weekend, but both drivers said Red Bull’s Max Verstappen remained a threat and the battle wasn’t just between the McLaren teammates.

After eight of 24 races, the McLaren’s drivers are separated by just three points in the championship. Between them, they have won six races this season, with Piastri taking four victories and Norris claiming two.

British driver Norris closed the gap by winning in Monaco last weekend.

Verstappen, the four-time world champion, has won twice and is third, 25 points behind Piastri.

“I think mathematically probably the whole grid can win the championship. I think there’s plenty of opportunities,” said Norris.

“Max can still win, I think Ferrari – I expect them to get better into the season.

“Max has been on the podium several times, he’s won races, he beat us in Imola fair and square because he was quicker.

“I don’t know what possibly makes you think that it’s only between us (McLaren drivers).”

Spain is a favourite track for Verstappen, where he won for the first time in 2016, and Piastri expected the Dutch driver to perform well again this week.

“I don’t think he can be counted out,” the Australian said. “The gap is not very large at the moment and they’ve genuinely been competitive at a decent number of circuits now.

“Of course there’s been weekends where we’ve been stronger but I think they’ve been developing their car, they’ve been finding more performance. So I think at this point Max is definitely still in the title (race).”

Verstappen has won the last three Spanish GP and four overall, plus seven straight podium finishes there. Despite this strong record, he wasn’t talking up his chances.

“For me it doesn’t really feel like a fight,” he said. “I just try to do my best, have a bit of fun out there.

“With some races we are really off the pace, which is not enjoyable. But the fighting spirit is still there. That is also never disappearing.”

Formula One has a front-wing rule change this weekend, with the FIA implementing more stringent stiffness tests.

McLaren say they do not expect to be affected but others are taking a wait-and-see approach, with Ferrari even speaking of a potential game changer.

“There are tweaks here and there, but nothing that will change how we have to do it,” added Norris.

In other news, Lewis Hamilton said he has a great relationship with Ferrari race engineer Riccardo Adami and continuing speculation about friction between them is just noise.

Terse radio exchanges at the season-opening Australian GP raised questions in March and they resurfaced in Monaco last weekend.

The Briton was heard asking Adami over the team radio, “Are you upset with me?” after the Italian did not respond to earlier messages.

Ferrari explained that silence as being due to radio and signal problems in a race that featured cars speeding through a tunnel.

“It was literally just there were areas where we had radio problems through the race, and I did not get information that I wanted. We spoke afterwards,” Hamilton said.

“There is a lot of speculation... We have a great relationship. He is amazing to work with.” REUTERS