Lando Norris make exciting Imola prediction after surprise Miami GP win

Lando Norris has suggested McLaren could be even quicker in Imola but has insisted the team are not getting ahead of themselves and are still the third best on the grid.

The team took a step forward in the US and are now set to battle with Ferrari and Red Bull throughout the season and although Norris was his pessimistic self, he suggested their pace could be similar this weekend.

Lando Norris makes early Imola prediction

Additional reporting by Sam Cooper

Norris broke his winless duck last time out in Miami thanks to the new upgrades on the MCL38 but suggested the team could be even quicker at a track that suits them much better.

“I think we are just better suited to Imola, potentially the upgrade is a little bit as well,” he told media including PlanetF1.com.

“Imola has generally been one of our most successful tracks as a team and for me as a driver so I would like to say so I think we definitely took a step forward.

“From what I know, other teams have upgrades too so I don’t think we’re getting ahead of ourselves. I’ve put good confidence forward to the team, I’ve said that we’re confident we can take steps forward, but I think I made it clear that we’re not going to be there every weekend.

“I was lucky last weekend with the safety car and the strategy worked out perfectly but that’s how racing goes sometimes. I wasn’t just first because I was the quickest at the time but I was quickest on track and I think that was the first good sign we had and then it turned into something more.

“But we need more if we want to challenge Ferrari more consistently, we want to challenge Red Bull more consistently but the team are doing a great job. They made some good steps and we have more things hopefully coming in the future.”

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Asked where McLaren lay in the pecking order though and Norris replied with a blunt “third.”

The McLaren driver was also asked if the season started now, would they be in a title race but he conceded they were “still too far behind.”

“At the minute, I think we’re still too far behind,” he said. “It was just one weekend and to come here. Miami we definitely weren’t expecting to be as good as we were and that was a nice surprise. China was similar things.

“But we’re not a mile away, we’re talking one or two tenths a lap at this point between being ahead and qualifying and being able to stay ahead in the race versus being behind and just not having what it takes.

“So I don’t think at the minute we have the package from the beginning of every weekend to the end of every weekend, I think we have more work to do. I don’t think we’re on par with Ferrari and with what Red Bull have.

“But we’re getting closer so I think we needed a couple more of the steps that we had in Miami and then I think yes, we can start to talk a little bit more about that kind of thing.”

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