Lando Norris insists McLaren are doing ‘a better job’ than Red Bull in title fight

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Lando Norris is in the middle of a fight for the Formula 1 championship for the first time in his career with McLaren.

It could be the first of many, judging by his team’s meteoric rise through the midfield and to contention for race wins.

They have managed to catch up to, and beat Red Bull in the development race so far in 2024, and the constructors’ standings is a reflection of that.

They lead the Milton Keynes-based outfit by 41 points heading into the final six races of the season, with their rivals expected to bring some much-need upgrades to the United States Grand Prix.

Lando Norris pleased with ‘better job’ McLaren are doing

There’s still a big deficit for the Brit to chase in the drivers’ standings, as he currently trails Max Verstappen by 52 points.

The Dutchman has such an advantage that he can afford to finish second without the fastest lap at all remaining events and still claim a fourth consecutive title.

McLaren do have a faster car than Red Bull though, and that could prove to be a problem for Verstappen, which is something Norris praised while speaking to RacingNews365.

READ MORE: McLaren’s ‘very clever’ regulation exploit that made Red Bull unhappy shown off at Singapore

“We are doing a better job as a team right now because my car, our car, is quicker than theirs [Red Bull],” he said.

“But that’s just credit to the team for doing an amazing job, for being smarter and doing cooler things, creating mini-DRS flaps and stuff.

“I’m working my heart out, I’m working my butt off, to try and make sure that happens [winning the drivers’ championship]. He’s [Verstappen] trying to make sure it doesn’t happen. So, we’ll have to wait and find out.”

McLaren’s odds of ending a 16-year title draught

While the drivers’ championship is very finely poised with six races to go, the constructors is tipped firmly towards McLaren’s favour.

Not only do they possess the fastest car, but they have two drivers who are capable of securing a one-two finish at every event with Norris and Oscar Piastri at the helm.

Sergio Perez’s poor form, and Red Bull’s current pace disadvantage means that they are out of contention unless they can find more performance somewhere.

READ MORE: What Red Bull had to ‘sacrifice’ at the Singapore Grand Prix to deliver ‘pure performance’

They hope this will happen at the United States Grand Prix, with a new wave of upgrades aimed at trying to close the gap to the front.

If it fails, they may be about to surrender both championships and be forced to watch on as McLaren claim their first double since 1998.