P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lando Norris is attempting to overturn a hefty time deficit to Max Verstappen and claim McLaren’s first drivers’ championship since 2008.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella is confident that his team can challenge Max Verstappen for the world championship this year, despite Norris currently being 70 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ championship. Following Norris’s victory at Zandvoort last weekend, he has slightly eaten into Verstappen’s lead. Verstappen’s strong start to the season has given him a significant margin, but Red Bull’s recent form has faltered, with Verstappen failing to win any of the last five races. Although Stella acknowledged the challenges, he emphasized his faith in Norris’s ability to close the gap and highlighted the importance of team collaboration including young driver Oscar Piastri. Despite Norris being Verstappen’s closest challenger, Stella stated that the team is not yet at the point of directly asking Piastri to assist Norris in the title hunt, as they will continue to assess the situation race by race and ensure that Norris wins based on his own performance and competitiveness.
