Italian GP: Norris Aims to Narrow Championship Gap

Italian Grand Prix gives Lando Norris a “good opportunity” to close the gap on Max Verstappen in the championship. Norris, who secured his third pole position in the last four races, will start from the front row while Verstappen’s Red Bull is positioned in seventh after what the world champion described as a “very weird” qualifying session.

Norris, currently 70 points behind Verstappen with nine races remaining, acknowledges the need to gain an average of over seven points per race to challenge for the title. He notes Verstappen’s strong race pace and effective tyre management but hopes that Red Bull’s struggles in qualifying could provide an advantage. Verstappen, who had been quick on used tyres in earlier sessions struggled with front grip during the final qualifying segment.

He was 0.36 seconds slower on new tyres and expressed frustration with the car’s balance which has caused problems throughout the weekend. Verstappen admits that the car’s handling could hinder his race performance and while he hopes for improvements during the race, he remains cautious about his prospects. Norris having dominated the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend, warns against assuming a similar performance at Monza.

Despite McLaren’s front-row lockout, he is concerned about the new track surface, which has increased tyre wear and could affect race strategy. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella suggests that Verstappen’s strong showing on used tyres indicates Red Bull’s competitiveness but the balance issues during qualifying were a setback. Norris’s primary concern is his start as he has not yet turned any of his three poles this year into a race lead.

Teams will need to adapt to the new surface at the Italian GP which may require a race strategy involving more pit stops than usual.