Norris confident over McLaren’s prospects in Austin as he explains approach to Verstappen championship fight

Lando Norris is feeling confident that McLaren can perform well in Austin, with the Briton hopeful that he and the team can continue to close the gap to Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the championship fight.

Having taken a dominant victory last time out in Singapore – a result that saw him reduce Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ standings to 52 points – Norris admits that the break in the season that followed the race was both a good and a bad thing.

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When asked during Thursday’s driver press conference ahead of the United States Grand Prix if the gap in the calendar had been frustrating or a time to reflect, Norris explained: “A little bit of everything, honestly.

“After Singapore I just wanted to keep going – we were in a good rhythm, I think we still are in a good rhythm and have been for quite a while, so a little bit of that.

“But everyone needs a break, and it’s not just for me but for my whole team and the whole team around me, everyone back at the factory. It’s nice to kind of regroup and put our heads down again.

“[So the break involved] a mixture of things, obviously getting ready for the next few races and the end of the season, but also getting some time in to relax and spend some time with my friends.”

Pushed on whether he arrives into Austin with the same level of confidence he took into Singapore, Norris answered: “Yeah, I think so – probably more, I would say.

“If you look at where we were last year here relative with the car that we had, comparing to where we were in Singapore, I think this was a better weekend for us. We led the first half of the race – I know some things were mixed up because of different scenarios but it was a good weekend.

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“Some things have changed on this track with the new surface, and some of the layout’s changed a little bit, so [there are] always questions for us to go and answer. But with how we performed last year, with how we’re performing over the last three, four, five races, I think we’re confident everywhere that we should be towards the top.”

As well the resurfacing of the Circuit of The Americas, another potential unknown entering into the weekend is the return of the Sprint. Norris is optimistic that these factors can present an opportunity for McLaren rather than something to be wary of.

“I have no idea if it’s going to be a good thing or a bad thing – I don’t think anyone does,” the 24-year-old said. “I think we probably all treat it as opportunities until we know something different.

“But it’s also a Sprint race where many things can happen and it’s difficult to sometimes hit the ground running. We saw that last year with people not getting their set-ups right and things like that.

“Again certain things have changed from what happened last year and that scenario. I think everyone’s going to see these races as opportunities, and we do too so that’s a good thing.”

In terms of whether the weekend ahead will offer a good read of his chances in the championship battle against Verstappen – with Red Bull amongst the teams set to bring upgrades in Austin – Norris reflected: “I think we’ve seen it for the last five, six weekends.

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“People ask every weekend if this is a weekend that’s going to change something. It can go my way, it can go Max’s way. I keep focused on doing what I’m doing, I’ve been doing a good job.

“I’m happy with how things have gone – I’ve not been happy always with the final result for different reasons, but I’m happy with what we’re doing as a team and how we’re working together.

“I’m confident if we just keep our heads down and keep pushing we can do it – we can close the gap, but it’s not easy and I need more than just me [finishing in] first and Max second. But I can’t change that, so I just need to focus on myself and leave the rest to everyone else.”