Norris wary of Red Bull in Austria: 'They have an advantage'

11:50, 27 Jun

Updated: 12:05, 27 Jun

bySienna Ionta

Lando Norris has played down expectations ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, acknowledging Red Bull’s historical strength at the Red Bull Ring could make them the team to beat once again.

The McLaren driver, currently behind his teammate Piastri in the championship, admitted that while his team expects to perform well this weekend, Red Bull’s advantage in qualifying could prove difficult to overcome.

“I hope it will benefit us,” Norris spoke to media including GPblog, referring to the track layout. “We’ve had a very strong start to the season, especially from the racing point of view. I think some of our main competitors have caught up in some areas, which has been evident. I think we still have an advantage and a very strong race car and obviously a little bit more of a tricky qualifying car.”

The qualifying inconsistency is something both Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri have frequently discussed with McLaren engineers, as they continue to fine-tune performance for single-lap pace.

"That's just proven plenty of times and is something both Oscar and I comment on a lot with the team."

Norris: Red Bull have an advantage in Austria

“Austria is also a very different track and it’s been one of our better ones in the past,” Norris continued. “It’s also been a very good one for Red Bull and for Max. They were on pole by like four and a half tenths last year. So clearly a track that they're very strong in.”

"They do have an advantage on us in high speed corners, which they're a good amount of here."

With several high-speed sections favouring Red Bull’s aerodynamic edge, Norris expects a close contest in Spielberg — but warned that McLaren might face a tougher fight on Saturday compared to race day.

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“We expect to be good, but maybe struggle a little bit in qualifying compared to some of our competitors,” he added.

The British driver, who remains one of the leading contenders in this year’s title battle, will be hoping for a strong performance in Austria after his crash in Canada — but he knows Red Bull are unlikely to give up home ground without a fight.