Dakar Rally Roundup: Norris Shines as McLaren Gains Ground on Red Bull
In a developing battle at the front of the Dakar Rally, Lando Norris has claimed that “two is better than one” when it comes to McLaren’s pursuit of Red Bull. The British driver secured his fifth podium finish in seven races at the recent Canadian Grand Prix, with teammate Oscar Piastri also delivering a top-five result.
Norris highlighted the consistency of the McLaren duo as a key strength, stating, “We have two drivers as McLaren who are up there not making mistakes and getting pretty much everything out of the car every single weekend.” This, he believes, could aid McLaren’s charge against the dominant Red Bull outfit.
“In Max’s case, two is going to be better than one,” Norris said, emphasizing the importance of having both drivers performing at a high level. “We’re doing a good job, but we still need to keep pushing on and try and bring more upgrades and things like that.”
While Max Verstappen has managed two wins over the previous three rounds, Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez experienced another difficult outing, crashing and retiring in Canada. Perez’s struggles, contributing just four points in the last three races, have been identified by Norris as an area where McLaren can capitalize.
The Briton acknowledged the threat of a resurgent Mercedes team, but remains confident in McLaren’s ability to score big points in the coming races. “With Mercedes joining, it’s only going to make it harder to score big points like we did today,” he said.
Verstappen, who has six wins from nine races this season, believes that as long as he continues to win, the damage caused by Perez’s absence can be mitigated. However, the Dutchman conceded that having Perez closer to him is vital to Red Bull’s ambitions, and the team is working to deliver a more compliant car.
The ongoing battle between McLaren and Red Bull promises to be a captivating storyline in the Dakar Rally as the season progresses. Norris and Piastri’s consistent performances have put them in a strong position to challenge for the championship, while Red Bull looks to address the issues that have plagued Perez’s campaign.
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