Lando Norris will likely look back on the Spanish Grand Prix as a missed opportunity to beat Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
The Briton admitted he wasted his start from pole after allowing Verstappen to overtake him into Turn 1, while McLaren made a series of strategic and pit stop errors that ultimately enabled the three-time world champion to win by fine margins.
The consistency from Red Bull during pit stops has been highlighted by former F1 strategist Bernie Collins, while Peter Windsor believes Verstappen has showcased his ability while driving under pressure for the first time.
Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer feels Norris is most likely to be Verstappen’s main challenger for the rest of the season and outlined how he can beat the Dutchman in his latest F1.com column.
Lando Norris has ‘world championship’ credentials
Norris is a proven race winner in F1 having finally ended his run of most podiums without a win at the Miami Grand Prix, but the last two races in a row have been missed opportunities for the Briton.
Palmer outlined exactly what Norris and McLaren must work on a key area to beat Red Bull most consistently.
“Norris looks to be the most consistent threat each weekend on paper, and Lando is also driving superbly right now. With the most competitive machinery he’s ever driven, it looks like he’s finally proving his world championship credentials as well. But he was self critical after Barcelona, saying there are things he still needs to tidy up to match Verstappen. It was a harsh reflection, but he’s right.
“In a normal world Lando might have added to his win tally by now, but Max isn’t driving in a normal world. For McLaren, Ferrari or Mercedes to topple him, they are going to need to put together a perfect weekend, because anything less and Verstappen has a chance.”
Lando Norris must improve consistency
Although Norris has emerged as Verstappen’s nearest challenger, strikingly he has only the fourth-highest tally of laps spent in the lead behind both Ferrari drivers.
Norris’ poor start on Sunday also meant he continued his record of never keeping the lead of a race from pole position. The other occasions he lost the lead on the opening lap were to Carlos Sainz at the 2021 Russian GP, Verstappen at the 2023 Brazilian GP sprint, and Lewis Hamilton at this year’s Chinese GP sprint race.
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By contrast, Verstappen has led the field for 381 laps so far this season, which is more than all of his rivals combined.
Norris must improve his consistency up front where drivers can dictate the pace if he wants to become a credible title challenger to the defending world champion.
The post ‘Going to need’: Jolyon Palmer tells Red Bull rivals exactly what they need to do to beat Max Verstappen appeared first on F1 Oversteer.