Be no longer surprised … Lando Norris could not control his anger when he told reporters that Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing would pose a threat to his McLaren team in the remaining seven races of the season. Norris also emphasized some strengths of the RB21 that could not match his MCL39.

In the bustling world of Formula 1, where every turn can be a potential turning point, Lando Norris burst yesterday in a rare moment of frustration. The British driver, who wears half the world on his shoulders as McLaren’s hope for a long -awaited title, could hardly control his anger during a press conference after the Singapore Grand Prix. It was a weekend full of disappointments for the team from Woking: Oscar Piastri crashed in the opening round, and Norris himself could not end up higher than a disappointing seventh place. But it was not only the own performance that annoyed Norris; It was the revival of arch -rival Red Bull Racing, with Max Verstappen at the helm, who made his patience go over.

“Be no longer surprised,” Norris snarled against the collected journalists, loaded his voice with a mix of disbelief and determination. “It’s not often that they are slow, so I think people should stop being so surprised that they are fast.” These words, pronounced with a sharpness that rarely comes from the normally calm 25-year-old, underline the reality of a season that McLaren dominated for a long time, but now threatens to escape. Red Bull, which struggled earlier this year with internal turbulence and technical setbacks, recovered with a series of upgrades that transform their RB21 into a beast on the track. Verstappen, the four -time world champion, won the last two races in Row in Monza and Baku, and connects with Norris in the final score with only 28 points behind. With seven races to go-from Austin to Abu Dhabi-the title fight has suddenly become a cat-and-mouse game.

Norris’ eruption did not come out of nowhere. McLaren had won twelve of the seventeen Grands Prix until the summer break, a dominance reminiscent of the glory days of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. The MCL39, with its aerodynamic finesse and hybrid efficiency, looked unbeatable on most circuits. But Red Bull has listened to the feedback from their drivers, in particular Verstappen, and made a series of adjustments that restored the balance of the car. “They have been quickly the entire season,” Norris continued. “The Red Bull has been good. They brought upgrades to Monza, which seems to have helped them to get even better. ” Indeed, the recent modifications on the front wing and the floor of the RB21 have made the car superior in the high-speed bends, a domain where McLaren is still struggling.

What Norris mainly bothered were the specific strengths of the RB21 that the MCL39 simply could not match. During the race in Singapore, where he drove behind Yuki Tsunoda from Racing Bulls-a car with similar Red Bull-DNA-Norris noted: ‘When I followed the Red Bull, there were clear areas where they were just a level higher than we were. We must understand why. ” He specifically referred to the Downforce generation in medium bends and the traction from slow chicanes, aspects in which Red Bull has an estimated 0.3 seconds per round. The MCL39 excels in straight pieces and fuel efficiency, but suffers from instability when catching up, a weakness that Norris and Piastri both have raised. “Things that the Red Bull was so good at and dominated in the past, they still have that, and we don’t,” Norris admitted, his frustration with a sigh.

This confession is a wake-up call for McLaren. The team, led by team boss Andrea Stella, has already announced that there will be a large-scale upgrade package for the American Grand Prix in Austin. But Norris warns: “They are going to make our lives difficult for the rest of the season.” Verstappen, never a man of empty promises, responded laconically to the comments of his rival. “Lando is a top driver, but he has to worry about his own car,” said the Dutchman after the race, with a grin who betrayed his confidence. Red Bull’s revival is no coincidence; The team has left the internal power struggle between advisers Helmut Marko and Christian Horner behind and now focuses on data-driven innovations. The RB21’s new motor mapping, optimized for the cold autumn straces, might be decisive on circuits such as Cota and Mexico City.

The rivalry between Norris and Verstappen, who already started in their go -karting days, feeds the tension. Norris, who booked his first victory in Miami earlier this year, leads the score with 312 points, but Verstappen’s consistent stage finishes – including four wins – keeps him in the race. Piastri, Norris’ teammate, is third with 245 points, but his recent failure in Singapore has raised the pressure on McLaren. The British driver emphasized that his anger is not personal: “Max is one of the best drivers ever in Formula 1. We expect nothing less.” Yet an undertone of urgency trickled through his words; McLaren can no longer afford a misstep if they want to win the title, the first since 1998.

While De Paddock is preparing for the sprint to the finish, the question remains: Can McLaren hold their lead, or will Red Bull’s reborn hunger push the crown away? Norris’ outburst is a reminder of the ruthlessness of the sport. In a world where Milliseconds make and break kings, there is no room for surprises – only for preparation. The remaining seven races promise a spectacle of epic proportions, with two title candidates fighting as gladiators. For Norris and McLaren it is now time to act before the surprise turns into regret.