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Lando Norris has enjoyed a solid start to the 2021 season. He had the measure of his more illustrious teammate Daniel Ricciardo and finished the first race of the season in P4.
Speaking about the pecking order, Lando Norris seems optimistic about McLaren's prospects this season, as he concedes that the team has closed the gap to the front:
"We're close, we're not miles away from Mercedes and Red Bull comparing to last season. I think we've closed the gap quite a bit and hopefully at some tracks close it even more."
McLaren had good pace at Bahrain, with both drivers finishing in the points. Daniel Ricciardo, who is still getting used to the car, finished in P7, while Lando Norris fended off a late challenge from Sergio Perez to finish fourth.
We're fighting Ferrari and AlphaTauri for third: Lando Norris
Lando Norris is under no illusions that the team's form could ebb and flow throughout the season, depending on the track and the conditions at play.
With Aston Martin and Alpine F1 struggling at the moment, Lando Norris feels Ferrari, McLaren, and AlphaTauri will be the teams to fight it out amongst themselves for the "best of the rest" tag.
Speaking about the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, Norris revealed that after FP2, the team had a certain idea of its place in the pecking order. Although Charles Leclerc's Ferrari out-qualified the two McLarens, the Woking-based team had a pace advantage in long runs. This was evident as Lando Norris overtook Leclerc at the start of the race and never looked back.
"Yeah, I think we kind of knew that from the runs in FP2 and the test we did here. I think we've got an understanding of what [Ferrari] can do."
Speaking specifically about the Ferraris, Norris said:
"Even last year Charles was ahead of us in qualifying and the Ferrari can be very quick in qualifying. During the races, they seemed to struggle. I think we were just clearly quicker on pace, which was a good thing, but there's going to be some races probably where they can look after the tires better and be much quicker."
Norris believes McLaren's biggest threat this season will come from Ferrari and the resurgent AlphaTauri:
"It's going to go backward and forwards between us and Ferrari and with AlphaTauri it seems pretty close between us, so I'm looking forward to the battle."
Lando Norris' time at McLaren has coincided with the team's resurgence to the front. With a brand new Mercedes engine powering the car, the Woking-based team will look to return to their glory days. McLaren boasts one of the strongest driver lineups on the grid, and although 2021 may be too early for a championship challenge, the team will relish their opportunity in 2022 under the new regulations.
