Norris Confirms Continued Competition with Verstappen for World Drivers' Title

Lando Norris maintains his stance that he and Max Verstappen are still competitors for the Formula One championship, despite not being allowed to secure a victory during Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix due to team instructions. Despite these setbacks, Norris remains optimistic about McLaren's potential to challenge their rivals until the final race before summer break.

Norris’s colleague, Oscar Piastri, achieved his first Formula One win in Budapest with a remarkable performance; however, the last third of the race was heavily influenced by team orders from McLaren. The decision led to Norris pitting ahead of Piastri due to concerns about potential issues at the stop potentially jeopranizing their chances for a podium finish.

When Piastri eventually stopped, Norris took over the lead on newer tyres. Although it was anticipated that Norris would relinquish his position, he chose to hold onto it until only three laps were remaining in the race - resulting in a 7-point deficit against Verstappen who currently leads by 76 points with eleven races left.

Despite this setback, Norris remains undeterred and maintains his confidence that he can still pose a challenge to the world champion. "It's still on," said Norris. "I know it’s going to be an uphill battle but I won't say no to it and as a team we are determined."

Norris had previously achieved his first victory at the Miami GP this year, after McLaren made significant improvements to their car design. Following Piastri's win in Budapest where Verstappen finished fifth due to an incident with Lewis Hamilton, the championship contenders now seem to have a faster vehicle overall.

Asked if he considered winning the title a realistic goal, Norris asserted that there is still much potential for growth and improvement. With Formula One approaching their next race at Spa before taking a break in summer, Norris emphasized his determination to continue fighting against his rivals and exploring opportunities to improve.

Nevertheless, the team's decision not to prioritize Norris ahead of Piastri was controversial and led some people to question their strategy as well as the relationship between McLaren driver and the team. However, the team principal, Andrea Stella, defended his stance by stating that Norris is a competitive race driver who would have likely acted similarly in similar circumstances.

Stella also reiterated that such scenarios are discussed before each race, as they follow specific principles regarding their approach to racing and team dynamics: "We talk about our principles going racing," he said. "One is the interests of the team come first."