Lando Norris makes clear Max Verstappen claim after Red Bull revival

Lando Norris has stated Max Verstappen is "genuinely a challenger" for race wins over the rest of the F1 season after the floor upgrade Red Bull delivered vaulted the RB21 back to competitiveness.

The four-time F1 drivers' champion took advantage of the Italian Grand Prix update to clinch victory at Monza before going back-to-back in Baku two weeks later.

In doing so, the Dutchman has thrust himself back into the title picture, with Norris' McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri now only 69 points ahead of Verstappen, 35 fewer than the deficit was before the round at the Temple of Speed.

Norris, who trails the Australian by 25 points, believes the Red Bull driver will be in contention during the run-in as the RB21 is now back on the "same level" as the MCL39.

When asked by media, including RacingNews365, if Verstappen's recent wins were track-specific or if he is now genuinely a challenger, the 25-year-old quickly responded: "Genuinely a challenger.

"I think if you go back to the beginning of the season, they were challenging the first six, seven races for race wins, challenging us in the drivers'.

"And then we brought some upgrades, improved a little bit. A couple of weeks ago, they brought some upgrades, and it seems like that's kind of put them back on the same level as us.

"So, I think we're still expecting and we still come into every race with the ambition and with the goal of winning and wanting to dominate as a team and continue the form that we've had all season.

"But nevertheless, you know, it's a track where Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull, certainly over the last few weekends, have been closer. So we expect battles, especially with him."

More than Norris bargained for

Verstappen's resurgence has created a looming threat for Norris and Piastri, but the British driver is not concerned by the unlikely idea of McLaren prioritising his team-mate in the drivers' championship battle.

Prior to Red Bull's revival, the nine-time grand prix winner had quipped that having another driver in the fight could make "life easier" for him if it takes points away from Piastri.

When it was put to him by RacingNews365 that with Verstappen's renewed form, he had maybe received more than he had bargained for, Norris replied: "It’d be easier if I was always finishing first and him [Piastri] third, but that's not going to be the case. So it's difficult to know.

"I think certainly in Baku, we had the pace to win, and we had the car to win, and we didn’t. I don’t think we necessarily had the pace to be on pole, but I think we had a chance to fight and had the chance to fight Max. In Monza, they were just too quick for us.

"If there’s some races coming up where they’re just too fast — which is very possible... he qualified one tenth behind me here last year, even when we were already dominant, he was only one tenth off.

"I expect him to be quick for many of the races this season. We're going to go to Vegas, another low-downforce track where we don't expect to be as great as we have been in other places.

"So I think there's still opportunity. We know there's opportunity for them. But as long as we're just focusing on ourselves... and I’ll try and maximise every result I can, whether that’s on Saturday or Sunday."