Max Verstappen gets wake-up call as F1 rival threatens to end Red Bull supremacy
Lando Norris' outstanding Brazilian Grand Prix drive will have made Max Verstappen take "notice" of his most imminent threat.
The Dutchman has been untouchable all year long. Armed with the best car on the grid by some distance, he shrugged off an early challenge from team-mate Sergio Perez to romp to his third consecutive world title unchallenged.
For the most part, it was a similar story in Sunday's race at Interlagos. But while everyone else dropped back quickly, Norris was able to find the right balance between showing strong pace and managing his tyres to keep to within a few seconds of the Red Bull.
It was still clear that the McLaren man would have needed a well-timed intervention from a safety car or another uncontrollable factor to go in his favour if he was to get past. But the fact he was able to run Verstappen so close was not lost on anyone.
You can count former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher among those full of admiration for the improvements McLaren have made this season. Norris' result in Brazil was, he believes, and indication that the performance gap continues to close – but that more can still be done.
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"It will take a while, but they have come closer," he told Sky Germany. "Max Verstappen also noticed [that] at the beginning and was a bit more reserved. At one point it looked close, and he didn't do that voluntarily. They're there – but [Oscar] Piastri still has to improve in the races."
Rookie Piastri left Brazil empty-handed after enduring rotten luck in his first event in Sao Paulo. He picked up damage on the first lap and, while he was able to continue after the red flag, he was a lap down and so never had a chance of challenging for points.
Still, Norris' efforts, which included setting the fastest lap of the race, ensured that McLaren still scored well. In his own column for Sky, Schumacher singled out the Brit as the chief threat to Verstappen going forward.
But the six-time F1 Grand Prix winner thinks there is one key area in which the McLaren star needs to make improvements if he is to fulfil his potential in the sport. He wrote: "Lando Norris has become the number one pursuer.
"But he still makes too many mistakes, especially in qualifying. Norris reminds me a bit of Charles Leclerc. However, Norris does a great job in the race. Norris' problem is that he wants too much in qualifying. Then he overshoots and makes too many mistakes."
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