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Lando Norris still considers Max Verstappen a major threat for the championship heading into the final few races of the 2025 F1 season. Despite McLaren's dominance this year, Verstappen has emerged as a possible contender for the Drivers' title.
McLaren remained the force to beat this season initially. Yet, Max Verstappen managed to clinch victories in Suzuka and Imola. However, that was followed by a dry spell for Red Bull and all other teams, as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri won consistently, with the latter taking a huge lead in the championship standings.
However, Verstappen had a strong comeback in Monza and Baku, winning consecutively in those races. Moreover, Piastri's crash in Baku gave the Dutchman the perfect opportunity to reduce the gap in the championship. He narrowed down the gap between him and Piastri to just 69 points.
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Heading into the final seven races of the season, Lando Norris believes Verstappen could spoil the party for McLaren. He mentioned that the upgrades Red Bull introduced in Monza have helped them to get a lead in performance.
"The Red Bull has been good; they brought some upgrades to Monza which seems to have helped them improve even more," Lando Norris said (via Racer). "So, not a surprise, I think we know that they're an incredibly strong team and one of the best drivers ever in Formula 1 so we expect nothing less."
He added:
"They're going to make our life difficult for the rest of the season, but we also know from our side, we struggled a bit [in Baku]; Monza, clearly were not quick enough. We've made improvements, but things where the Red Bull have been so good and dominant in the past, they still have and we don’t, and when I was following the Red Bull [in Baku], there were clearly some areas where they were just another level to us and we need to understand why."
Heading into Singapore next, Red Bull does not have a clear history of winning on the track. In fact, it is the only track on the current Formula 1 calendar where Max Verstappen has never won a race. This could give McLaren the advantage.
Singapore GP expected to be strong turf for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
The championship leader, Oscar Piastri, recently delivered his verdict on the Singapore GP. As mentioned, the Marina Bay Circuit hasn't been the best one for Red Bull Racing in recent years. Even during their most dominant season in 2023, Verstappen missed out on the podium.
Oscar Piastri, who crashed out in Baku, recently mentioned that the track could turn out to be a strong one for McLaren, considering its layout.
"I'm very keen to get back in the cockpit," Oscar Piastri said. "On paper, and with the temperatures involved in Singapore, our car has been proven to be comfortable in the past, and with that in mind, I'm looking forward to a really positive weekend."
This could mean that both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri deliver strong performances on the track later this week. The former won the race here last year and would get a strong hold in the championship if he manages to repeat his success. Moreover, McLaren could also clinch their Constructors' Championship.
