Christian Horner admits fear after Toto Wolff's eye-catching Lando Norris claim

20 May 2024 , 13:58

1255     0

Lando Norris is taking the fight to Max Verstappen (Image: Getty Images)

Red Bull are bracing for a title challenge from McLaren as Christian Horner admitted Lando Norris can push Max Verstappen all the way this year.

Horner and his team began this season in their usual dominant fashion but a game-changing McLaren upgrade has changed the balance of power. Briton Norris, 24, won in Miami earlier this month and, at Imola on Sunday, was less than a second behind Verstappen and catching when he crossed the finish line.

Horner said of McLaren's rise: "Arguably over the last couple of races they have been the main competitor. They have definitely added performance to their car, they have made a step, so we expect them to be competitive at all circuits."

McLaren are 114 points adrift of leaders Red Bull after the opening seven rounds of the season. The gap between Norris and Verstappen in the drivers' table stands at just 60.

Red Bull boss Horner expects more close shaves in the coming races, adding: "You can't take anything for granted, we certainly don't, the margins are very fine.

Inside the driver call which upset Red Bull and changed the course of F1 history

"In year three of these rules there is always going to be convergence. We are seeing exactly that. The look of the cars is converging, the performance is converging. We will see more races like Sundays with very fine margins."

Red Bull have ruled the roost since a swathe of car design rule changes came into force in 2022. They adapted to the new regulations quicker while Mercedes, who had won the previous eight constructors' titles, were knocked off their perch.

Christian Horner is anticipating a challenge from McLaren (Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished sixth and seventh at Imola - a result which illustrated perfectly where the Silver Arrows are in the pecking order right now. If it was difficult for Toto Wolff to see Mercedes go from serial winners to also-rans, watching their engine customers McLaren leapfrog them in the standings would have been a bitter pill to swallow.

But the Austrian insists he is pleased to see someone taking the fight to Red Bull - even if his own outfit cannot yet do so. Wolff said: "It's a fantastic recovery story, when you look at where McLaren were 12 months ago.

"We have to have respect for how they have done things and more competition at the front is good for the sport. I'm not looking at that with envy. Quite the contrary, I'm looking at that and saying this is what we need to achieve, because they've been able to do that. It's just good engineering."

Daniel Moxon