Lando Norris airs McLaren verdict in face of growing Max Verstappen threat

Lando Norris is "confident" that it will be either himself or Oscar Piastri winning the F1 drivers' title this year, although is wary of the growing threat of Max Verstappen.  Piastri has a 25-point advantage over Norris ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, while Verstappen is a further 44 points adrift.  Despite Verstappen being 69 points behind Piastri, Norris is certain the Dutchman is in the title fight following back-to-back victories.  Verstappen has made huge strides since Red Bull introduced a new floor at the Italian GP, convincing Norris that the Austrian outfit has the same level of performance as McLaren. While Norris views the four-time world champion as a threat, he is choosing to focus on himself in hope that it will be enough to win a maiden title. "Max remains Max," Norris told Dutch publication De Limburger. "He's arguably the best driver there's ever been, so you can never rule him out.  "Especially not now that they're back on the same level as us. They've clearly found something. Do I worry about that?  "No, because I can't change it. I can only do my best. In Abu Dhabi, we'll see if it's enough."

Verstappen in the fight

Had it not been for a poor middle part of the season, Verstappen would find himself much closer to the McLaren duo in the standings.  After fighting for pole positions and victories in the opening races, the 27-year-old went on a rare seven-race run from Monaco to Hungary which featured just one podium finish – Verstappen finished second in Canada. With the Red Bull back in a strong, consistent working window, Norris is expecting a tough fight across the remaining races. "He didn't get six poles this year for nothing," added Norris. "You don't do that with a bad car. And he was also right there in the first seven races.  "It will be a close race in the final races, so I expect a battle that will only be decided in Abu Dhabi.  "I'm confident that whoever wins will be driving a papaya orange car. Will that be me? I'm certainly working hard for it."