Lando Norris on Thursday played down his hopes of beating Max Verstappen again in this Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, warning that despite more updates his McLaren car was not yet a match for the champion’s Red Bull.
Norris, who claimed his maiden Formula One victory at the Miami Grand Prix two weeks ago, warned that despite their progress and recent success McLaren “need more” to challenge consistently.
“We definitely took a step forward,” he said, referring to the team’s upgrade package in Miami.
“But other teams have upgrades too so we are not getting ahead of ourselves.
“I still think we are the third best team at the moment. But that could change if we have another good weekend here and I am confident that with our rate of development we can challenge more often for wins next year - and, in the bigger picture, the title.”
He added that “we need more to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari more consistently.”
Norris suggested also that McLaren may be better suited to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari this weekend than many other circuits.
“Imola has generally been one of our moe successful tracks,” he said. “And for me as a driver.”
His popular victory in Miami came with the aid of a helpful Safety Car intervention that enabled him to pass Verstappen.

Hamilton says struggling Mercedes have found ‘North Star’Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton offered an upbeat view on Mercedes’ future prospects on Thursday when he said the team had finally found their “North Star” in the prolonged effort to develop their car.
The Briton, without a win since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, said he was encouraged by the directional breakthrough and both the energy and resilience of the team.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the first race in Europe this year after six flyaway rounds around the world, Hamilton and his Mercedes team-mate George Russell said they were impressed by the durability of their team.
Mercedes have struggled for performance and have yet to register a podium finish this season.
“There is a long way to go,” said Hamilton. “But I am excited with what I know we have coming in the pipe-line now. We have found our North Star and we know what we want to do and what to change.
“The energy in the team is amazing. They are so resilient and continue to push all the time even though we have been knocked down quite a few times this year.”
Hamilton, who has won six of his drivers titles with Mercedes, is set to leave the team and join Ferrari next year.
Meanwhile Formula One will have to rethink proposed wet-weather spray guards after a test at Ferrari’s Fiorano track showed they made little difference, Ferrari reserve Oliver Bearman said on Thursday.
Bearman and Arthur Leclerc, younger brother of Ferrari driver Charles, tried the latest prototypes last week with the Briton following the Monegasque whose car was equipped with wheel covers.
The track was wettened on the straights, with Bearman testing how much difference enclosing the wheels made to the car behind.
“I think you saw the videos, it was quite similar. So I think back to the drawing board, we need to keep looking at it,” Bearman told reporters at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, where he will be taking part in first practice with Haas today.
“The visibility was still pretty tough out there.
“It was slightly better for sure, the work has gone to something, but not fixed.
“We did four or five runs just trying different levels of openness, because if it (the cover) is fully closed, it’s also quite tough for the temperature of the tyres.”
Drivers said last year that racing in rain and spray was Formula One’s biggest current safety concern.
A trial at Silverstone last July in a post-British Grand Prix Pirelli tyre test showed more development was needed, however, with a lot of spray coming from the car’s rear diffuser.
That test took on greater significance as it came after the death of Dutch 18-year-old Dilano van’t Hoff in a wet junior series race at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Bearman has six free practice sessions this season with Ferrari-powered Haas, who have at least one vacancy for 2025 after the future Audi team run by Sauber announced Nico Hulkenberg would be joining them.
Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen, who is in danger of a race suspension due to the accumulation of penalty points, is also out of contract at the end of the year.