After trailing only Max Verstappen across the finish line in China, McLaren has now turned its attention towards eventually overtaking Red Bull.
The start of 2024 has seen the Woking-based squad maintain a modest profile, yet they hold a solid position between Ferrari and Mercedes in the rankings.
On Sunday, Norris playfully wagered with his engineer that he would finish 35 seconds after the closest Ferrari at the Chinese GP. In the end, he managed to surpass both of the scarlet cars. "I was very wrong," he admitted with a grin.
Norris, whose McLaren contract extends until 2026, has caught the attention of Red Bull's Dr. Helmut Marko, who has expressed his interest in the 24-year-old on multiple occasions recently.
After sharing the podium in China, Norris journeyed back to Europe on Verstappen's private jet. "Lando was consistent, good tyre degradation - surprising given that Oscar Piastri was struggling," observed 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg.
Both Ferrari and Mercedes, like McLaren, are set to introduce car upgrades at the Miami race next weekend.
"I believe that we can still beat Red Bull this year," declared McLaren team leader Andrea Stella.
"We seemed to lose ground because we gained so much ground when Red Bull weren't developing," he noted. "Over a longer period, we're on a strong trajectory."
"If we keep this up for the next 12 months, why not?"
Contract aside, securing Norris's loyalty might ultimately hinge on McLaren's success in developing a winning car, given Red Bull's overt interest.
"His father always jokes that Lando won't win a grand prix until Max retires," Marko commented in Shanghai. "I told him that he has to come to us, then he would definitely go faster."
Merely days before, Marko also acknowledged the potential of Norris and Piastri, stating, "Both drivers are certainly interesting for us for the future."
Sergio Perez was hopeful in China about securing a new deal with Red Bull, though Marko implied that his initial request for a "three year deal" had been turned down.
Having Verstappen and Norris as teammates could undoubtedly inject new excitement into Formula 1.
"If you see the same driver winning every single time without a fight then of course it does start to become boring and that is obvious," Norris pointed out in Shanghai.
"If Max wasn't there and you had two Perez's it wouldn't be the case." body check tags ::
