Norris: “Wish We’d Seen Verstappen and Piastri Battle!”

McLaren Driver Reflects on a Quiet Sprint Race at Spa as Verstappen’s Pace Proves Untouchable

After clinching third place in a somewhat subdued Sprint Race at the Belgian Grand Prix, Lando Norris walked away with mixed feelings. On one hand, the result was solid. On the other, the McLaren driver admitted he had hoped for more excitement up front—particularly between his teammate Oscar Piastri and race winner Max Verstappen.

“There wasn’t much going on out there, honestly,” Norris said with a smile that revealed more curiosity than frustration. “The start was fun, sure, maybe I could’ve positioned myself a bit better, but after that, it was kind of… settled.”

While Norris enjoyed a relatively clean race, he said he was left wondering what might’ve been had there been a proper duel between Piastri and Verstappen in the early laps. That, he suggested, could have opened things up a little—for everyone.

“I was hoping for a bit of a scrap between them,” Norris admitted. “But Max just had that pace. Red Bull were lightning quick down the straights, and honestly, once Oscar couldn’t get past, that was it. My shot was gone too.”

A Sprint Lacking Spice

Saturday’s sprint event at Spa-Francorchamps was expected to be full of drama, with dark clouds looming, tricky grip levels, and three top-tier teams starting in the top five. Yet, the excitement many fans—and drivers—anticipated never quite materialized.

“It looked like it might be spicy, especially in those opening laps,” Norris said. “But after that first lap or two, things kind of fell into place and just stayed that way.”

The McLaren cars of Piastri and Norris started in promising positions and looked strong in practice. Hopes were high that they could take the fight to Verstappen, who, despite not starting on pole due to a post-SQ penalty, was still the odds-on favorite thanks to his blistering pace in both dry and mixed conditions.

“Oscar had a decent start, and I was kind of watching like, ‘Go on then! Let’s see a proper go at Max!’” Norris said with a laugh. “But yeah… didn’t quite happen.”

DRS Trains and Reality Checks

While overtaking is never easy in modern Formula 1, Spa is one of those circuits where a good slipstream and DRS can often make the difference. But when one car is as fast in a straight line as the Red Bull RB20, even DRS becomes nearly useless.

“Red Bull have their car trimmed out beautifully,” Norris explained. “They’re just so efficient on the straights. We could match them in the twisty bits, maybe even gain a little, but as soon as we hit the throttle on the straights, they’re gone.”

That difference meant that even with DRS open, Piastri couldn’t mount a serious challenge, and Norris found himself stuck in the familiar pattern of modern sprint racing: holding position, saving tyres, and waiting for a mistake that never came.

“I was just sitting behind watching it all,” Norris said. “You’re there hoping for a lock-up or a missed apex—anything. But it never really came.”

Trust in McLaren’s Progress

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

While Norris made clear that the lack of battle at the front left him a little unsatisfied, he was quick to acknowledge how far McLaren have come in recent months. A year ago, fighting Verstappen would’ve been laughable. Now, it’s frustrating not to be fighting him.

“It’s actually a good sign, in a weird way,” he said. “We’re annoyed we didn’t get to race Max properly today. That tells you something.”

And it’s true. After a slow start to the 2024 season, McLaren has climbed back into genuine contention. With regular podiums and a handful of near-misses for wins, the orange cars have inserted themselves into the conversation alongside Red Bull and Ferrari—and sometimes ahead of Mercedes.

“It’s credit to the team. We’ve worked hard, and now we’re here, consistently,” Norris continued. “We’re knocking on the door every weekend now.”

Saturday Tweaks on the Cards

As the team looks ahead to Sunday’s Grand Prix, Norris suggested some overnight setup changes might help refine their performance. The cars looked well-balanced but perhaps weren’t fully optimized for the evolving track conditions at Spa.

“There are definitely a few small things we can look at,” he said. “Some tweaks for balance, some for straight-line speed—just to give us that extra edge if we need to fight tomorrow.”

And while sprint races offer limited running and little room to make sweeping changes, the data collected on Saturday will be invaluable for race day. The main Grand Prix offers pit strategies, tyre variations, and a much longer time window for drivers to make a difference.

“Sunday’s where the points are anyway,” Norris reminded. “It’s nice to get a good result in the sprint, sure. But we want to be on that podium when it matters most.”

Teammate Chemistry Still Strong

Even as he wished for a more intense fight between Piastri and Verstappen, Norris was full of praise for his younger teammate. The Aussie has continued to impress in his sophomore year, showing calm under pressure and a growing knack for maximizing qualifying results.

“Oscar’s done a great job,” Norris said. “He’s smart, doesn’t overdrive the car, and keeps improving. That’s what you want from a teammate—someone fast, but who also helps push the team forward.”

The McLaren garage has avoided the kinds of internal tension seen at some other teams, with both drivers managing a healthy rivalry without unnecessary drama.

“We push each other,” Norris added. “And when one of us is in a position to go after a win or a podium, the other one’s right there trying to help the team make it happen.”

Final Thoughts: Close, But Not Close Enough

In a season where Red Bull’s dominance has shown signs of cracking, races like Spa’s sprint are a reminder of just how hard it still is to topple Verstappen when everything clicks for the Dutchman.

“He’s just too good when the car’s hooked up,” Norris said simply. “You can have the best day of your life, but if Max is having an average one and the car’s strong, you’re still not getting past.”

Still, Norris and McLaren leave Saturday with hope—and perhaps a small chip on their shoulder. They’re not far off. And with a long race on Sunday and changeable weather always a factor at Spa, there may yet be fireworks to come.

“We’ll see tomorrow,” Norris said, already half-focused on Sunday. “Anything can happen here.”