Lando Norris does not expect Red Bull Racing to lose its lead before 2026, but does think it can be beaten at some circuits before then. The Brit points to Ferrari as a team that could currently do that. Norris sees that possibility because Max Verstappen was also almost defeated a number of times last year.
After McLaren’s upward trend in the second half of the 2023 season, it was thought that the British racing team could also challenge Red Bull in 2024. At the moment they seem to be the third team behind Ferrari. However, Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri started the year much more positively than in 2024, with both drivers achieving points in the first two races. “Every team is trying to catch up,” says Norris to the international media. “If you look at our progress, it is clear that we are the team that has made the most progress.”
Norris thinks they can be very happy with the work that has been done, but he knows it is not enough to challenge Red Bull. “But Verstappen is not going to win everything,” says the Brit. “Ferrari is currently closest to Red Bull, and it could be that they can already challenge Red Bull here,” said Norris. ‘Last year Max was also almost defeated, and we were close a number of times. We beat him once on Sunday, and we also took pole,” says Norris, referring to the sprint race in Qatar, which Piastri won, and the sprint pole, which Piastri also took in Belgium.
‘Red Bull will remain in the lead until 2026’
Most don’t expect anything to change in the current ranking until the technical regulations change again. That will take another two years, including the 2024 season. “I don’t think we’ll see any big changes until after that,” says Norris. ‘The new regulations could come as a bombshell. The engine is a very important aspect, although the engines are now quite similar in terms of performance. The difference in speed is mainly in the car. Red Bull will remain in the lead until 2026, I expect,” says the Brit. ‘They’re much smarter in many ways. If they do as well as any other team, they will maintain their lead. Then we can only hope that they don’t have any more good ideas!’
