23 October 2023 , 16:54
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Lando Norris mocked Aston Martin's upgrade efforts after McLaren leapfrogged them in the Formula 1 standings.
Aston Martin began the season as the chief threat to Red Bull with Fernando Alonso flying in the early rounds. But they have been the big losers of the in-season development war, becoming less and less competitive compared to their rivals.
McLaren, on the other hand, have been moving in the opposite direction. Their MCL60 was awful at the start of the year and is now collecting podiums on a weekly basis, with both drivers scoring regularly. Aston Martin, on the other hand, have only had Alonso in regular scoring form this year amid Lance Stroll's struggles.
Norris did it again in Sunday's United States Grand Prix, driving to third place on track. And that result got even better when Lewis Hamilton was later disqualified, as it bumped the 23-year-old up to second behind only race-winner Max Verstappen.
Those 18 points saw McLaren move above Aston Martin in the standings. And it was when talking about that after the race that Norris couldn't resist having a dig at Alonso's team.
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"I feel like we’re in a good rhythm. It's been clear that Aston are just, I don't know, they seem to have made the car slower and slower with every 'upgrade' that they brought," he said. "I mean, they were racing Red Bull at the beginning of the year and I don't know where they finished today but they were out in Q1 and they've been struggling.
"So I don't know what their issues are but they were very strong. They had a lot of points in the first half of the season. Second half, they've been struggling. So for us, it's vice versa."
It comes after Norris and Alonso exchanged jibes at one another earlier this month. Speaking ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, the veteran Spaniard suggested McLaren's improved form had got to their heads.
"They've been very strong before the August break, in Austria, and in Silverstone," he admitted, before adding: "They were close to being both on the podium at Silverstone and then, Zandvoort, we were on the podium and they struggled a little bit, so it's good if they're overconfident – let's see if we can beat them."
Norris did not waste the chance to clap back at Alonso, retorting in a later interview: "How many points did we catch last weekend? Quite a few, over 20 I think. So unless his his math is deteriorating, which it definitely isn't, then that's just Fernando, he's always gonna say things."