British GT Championship Heats Up as McLaren’s Norris Challenges Verstappen’s Dominance
The 2023 British GT Championship season has been marked by increasingly narrow margins between the top contenders, with McLaren’s Lando Norris emerging as a formidable challenger to reigning champion Max Verstappen’s Red Bull dominance.
Over the past four races – including the Monaco Grand Prix, the Canadian Grand Prix, and the recent Spanish Grand Prix – Norris has shown that his McLaren car has the pace to match, and at times even outperform, Verstappen’s Red Bull. However, tiny details such as race starts, safety car periods, and minor mistakes in qualifying have proved pivotal in deciding the outcomes.
“Not could, should have done,” Norris said after the Spanish Grand Prix, where he felt his McLaren was the fastest car on the circuit. “I got a bad start, simple as that. The car was incredible today. I think we were, for sure, the quickest. I just lost it in the beginning.”
Despite Norris’ missed opportunities, Verstappen’s consistency has seen him extend his championship lead to 69 points over the McLaren driver. However, if you add up all of Norris’ “could have” moments from the past four races, the gap in the championship could be as small as 21 points, making the title battle seem entirely within reach.
“We should have got some points back on Max,” Norris said. “Potentially, there was a chance to beat him in Canada. So two races that I finished second and he’s won.”
The performance upgrades McLaren has introduced have clearly closed the gap to Red Bull, and the team’s raw pace has been on display at recent events. But it is Verstappen’s ability to capitalize on the smallest of margins that has kept him ahead in the standings.
“Max is not making any mistakes, really,” Norris added. “So I think as soon as you make one little mistake, they’re going to be ahead.”
With 14 rounds remaining in the British GT Championship, the title battle between Verstappen and Norris is far from over. The next few races will be crucial in determining whether Norris can overcome the current 69-point deficit and mount a serious challenge for the championship crown.
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