Lando Norris, the McLaren driver, says his team will have a ‘close battle’ with Ferrari and Alpha Tauri in the upcoming race after his stunning performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The young Briton spoke about being closer to top-tier teams like Mercedes and Red Bull than last season. However, Norris added to have a little hard time with Alpha Tauri and Ferrari for dominating the midfield of the circuit.
Lando Norris McLaren F1 Team MCL35M leads Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving during the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 28, 2021, in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Lando asserted his feeling about his midfield rivals, “It’s going to go backwards and forwards between us and Ferrari, and with AlphaTauri it seems pretty close between us, so I’m looking forward to the battle.”
Lando Norris on the battle with his midfield rivals
The McLaren-prodigy ranked ninth on the last season’s driver standing and helped his team reach the third rank. The Briton had quite a start in the 2021 season, starting at seventh on the grid for the Bahrain race behind his new teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
Lando Norris of Great Britain and Daniel Ricciardo of Australia from McLaren F1 at the Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit. (Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images)
However, Lando finished at P4 ahead of his Australian teammate, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and even Pierre Gasly from Alpha Tauri, who were ahead of him at the start of the season. The young Briton had a neck-to-neck battle with Leclerc before leaving him behind on the grid. Meanwhile, Gasly and Honey-Badger lost their pace, when the Alpha Tauri driver hit the back of McLaren’s No.3.
The Woking-based team believes they can give Mercedes and Red Bull a run for their money while having a little hard time with the Ferrari and Alpha Tauri.
Pierre Gasly of France driving the (10) Scuderia AlphaTauri AT02 Honda leads Lando Norris McLaren F1 Team MCL35M Mercedes during the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Lando Norris is working with his team for the upcoming race at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, April 18. We might even witness the English-prodigy finish at the podium on the weekend race in Imola.
