"I don't think you can ever doubt them": Lando Norris dismisses the notion that Red Bull has a bad car for Monaco

Lando Norris dismissed the notion that Red Bull would struggle at the Monaco Grand Prix as they did in 2024 due to the circuit’s slow-speed corners. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, ahead of the 2025 Monaco GP, the McLaren driver believes the multiple-time world champions and Max Verstappen in particular, remain strong contenders this year, especially following their performance in Imola.

The Red Bull RB21 has shown vulnerability in low and medium-speed corners throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons. While the team has generally found ways to optimise the car’s setup by Saturday and Sunday, the RB21 continues to suffer from a narrow balance window, a problem frequently acknowledged by Christian Horner and Verstappen. Additionally, brake issues have hampered the car’s consistency at several races this year. In 2024, Monaco marked Verstappen’s worst qualifying result of the season when he managed only P6.

When asked whether Red Bull might struggle again in Monaco, Lando Norris firmly pushed back against the theory while pointing to the team’s strength in both slow- and high-speed corners in Imola as proof of their competitiveness. The Briton emphasised that many of the negative assumptions around Red Bull’s form do not align with what rivals see in the data. He added that Red Bull’s proven success and Verstappen’s calibre behind the wheel make them a constant threat. According to Norris, McLaren’s analysis supports the view that Red Bull is not as weak as some of the early-season narratives may suggest.

Asked by Sportskeeda if Red Bull and Verstappen’s expectation to struggle in Monaco like they did last year was encouraging, Lando Norris replied:

“What makes you say that they're not good in slow speed corners? Last year? We're in 2025 now, well they won last weekend. They've been on pole several times this season, Max has won several races. He should have won in Saudi, there's also slow speed corners in Imola where they were very strong. So I think we have more of the facts and than I think what people on the outside do."

He added:

"There's a lot of negative stuff about how bad their car is, but they're very quick. We’ve said that the whole season, outside people have underestimated them. We know they’ve been a threat, they’ve been the whole year. They will continue to be. Especially when you have a team that has won many World Championships, especially in the last 5 -10 years. And they have Max, and I don't think you can ever doubt them.”

Lando Norris refused to put Red Bull down as genuine contenders at the Principality, touching on their success in Imola as he explained:

“They won last weekend because they deserved it. They were good in slow speed, they were good in high speed, and they have a good car. But like we saw between Miami and Imola for ourselves, we can look like heroes one weekend and then we get beaten the next. And it's not because anything changed, literally just the track. The cars are the same, obviously the tires were the same, it's literally just the track is different And we go from one to the other, you know. So we just take every weekend as it comes. They could be amazing here.”

Talking about his own form, Lando Norris expressed a desire to rediscover his competitive form from last year, which helped McLaren secure the constructors' championship title.

---

Lando Norris wishes to return to his competitive 2024 form

Lando Norris driving the MCL39 on track during practice ahead of the Monaco GP - Source: Getty

Lando Norris believes he hasn’t been performing at the same level in 2025 as he did in 2024. Reflecting on his form so far this season, the McLaren driver admitted that had he been operating at last year’s level, he would likely have secured more pole positions. While confident in his pace and ability, Norris acknowledged that returning to peak form is a process that will take time.

So far in 2025, Lando Norris has been outperformed by his teammate, Oscar Piastri, who appears more at ease with the car. The Australian has taken more pole positions and race wins, while Norris has struggled to fully capitalise on the car’s potential. He believes his race pace has been solid, but qualifying remains an area where he needs to improve to return to the sharp end consistently.

Asked what his confidence levels were like going into the Monaco GP weekend, Lando Norris said:

“I mean I'm confident I have the speed. But you know it's true that this year, I’ve not been able to put things together as well as what I have done in the past, for many many years. So it's something I've been very at one with and very, I wouldn’t always say confident but something I've always just been very very strong in. And I've just not done well enough this season."

"So it's not like I'm doing a bad job but when you're against the best in the world, not doing a perfect job is also the definition of probably doing a bad job. So I'm not focusing on I'm working with my team you know when I'm back home or when I'm here at the track on improving these things because it's been my biggest letdown so far of my season. My races on Sunday have been very strong,” he further added.

However, Lando Norris did not disregard the effort and synergy needed from both him and his team to achieve the same, as he elaborated:

“My racing, maybe not everyone, but my decision making. My Sunday is I don't even need to think about. I'm very happy with my opportunities on Saturday. So yeah, I know what I need to focus on. But like I said before, and I've said the last few weeks, it still takes time, it takes work from both halves, both for me as a driver and people I work with, and also as a team, providing me the equipment, the feelings that I need to perform at the level that I did last season. Because I think the level I performed that last season is a level that will would have got me a lot more poles this year. So yeah I've got it I know that I is there somewhere but unlocking it just takes work and time.”

Lando Norris is currently second in the Drivers’ Championship with 133 points, trailing his teammate Oscar Piastri by 13 points. Piastri leads the standings with 146 points, while Max Verstappen sits third with 124 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, McLaren holds a comfortable lead with 279 points, followed by Mercedes with 147 and Red Bull with 131.

While McLaren has maintained a strong position in the standings, they didn’t appear as competitive against Red Bull in Imola. Although Red Bull struggled in Monaco in 2024, they are expected to bounce back this year. Should the Milton Keynes-based team resolve their performance issues, the gap to McLaren could narrow over the coming races.