Norris "will go for it" if chance to attack Verstappen in Austrian GP appears
Lando Norris will take the chance to "go for it" and race Max Verstappen in Formula 1's Austrian Grand Prix if he can, but remains "realistic" over McLaren's race potential.
Norris will share the front row with Verstappen for Sunday's second 2021 race at the Red Bull Ring, after they topped qualifying, with the Red Bull driver claiming pole.
In last weekend's Styrian GP at the same venue, Norris opted not to defend hard against Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas after starting third, as he was wary of damaging his tyres and therefore falling back to the chasing midfield pack once the 'Class A' runners had gone by.
He successfully took fifth in that race, the maximum result for McLaren if none of the frontrunners hit trouble, and initially joked that "probably another P5" would be his target in the Austrian GP.
But Norris then explained his attitude towards racing Verstappen if an opportunity arises because he wants "to be optimistic".
Norris said: "We'll do our best to try and take a step forwards and go in the right direction.
"But it wasn't like we were exactly close last weekend and now we have that little bit more of a step, I don't want to be too negative, I want to be optimistic as I should be.
"But I'm also realistic and know that it's going to be a very tough race.
"We're in the best position possible to maximise everything, but if I have a chance to go for P1, a chance to race Max and go for it then I will.
"I'm still doing that, I'm still racing – I still want to do the best I can.
"But I think I also know what's best for us, what's best for myself and the team and who we're, sadly, really racing against in the race tomorrow."
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Norris ended up just 0.048s behind Verstappen after the final runs in Q3 on Saturday, where the Red Bull driver did not improve due to a lack of tow running at the head of the shootout pack.
But Norris does not think he would be able to find enough time to claim pole if he had the chance to do his final lap again.
"Of course there's always that little bit, but I'm sure Max would say the same thing," he explained.
"It's tough because it's so easy to just run that little bit wide and get your lap deleted and so on.
"And I think I improved already quite a bit in those last two corners compared to the rest of my lap.
"It's like risk versus reward and how much do you really risk? And I think I took the risk and I ended up where I did.
"But if I think if I had loads more opportunities or if you gave me another opportunity I don't necessarily think I would improve that much more.
"We are where we are. Throughout this year we know we don't have a good enough car comparing to Red Bull or Mercedes in general, and maybe today we do, but considering how much quicker they were last weekend I think it's obvious we struggle in a lot of areas.
"The car is not as quick as them and a lot of things are not possible comparing to them. So, I think I maximised our result and that's all I could do."
Related video
Previous article
Alonso: Penalty will be "never enough" for Vettel after Austrian GP Q2 incident
Next article
Bottas summoned by stewards over Austria F1 Q2 incident
How the cost cap is putting new pressures on F1's top teams
Formula 1’s budget cap means that even the richest teams now have to juggle what they can afford to spend – to the extent that Mercedes recently had to back out of an important tyre test. MARK GALLAGHER explains how the bean-counters now have to work to the limits of the regulations just like technical directors do
Why Mercedes isn't fooled it's ahead of Red Bull despite Austrian GP practice pace
After a comprehensive defeat to Red Bull and Max Verstappen in Austria last weekend, Mercedes remains wary of taking its promising pace as a guarantee for success. But with lessons learned from the Styrian GP, the Black Arrows squad continues to be poised for another almighty tussle against its familiar foe
Why '5/10' Ricciardo isn't giving up on his McLaren quest
Daniel Ricciardo has endured a tough start to his McLaren career. He's been comprehensively outscored by his team-mate so far, and with each passing race the explanations of his struggles can increasingly be seen as excuses. But while admitting that his on-track performances don’t merit a particularly flattering mark, Ricciardo is convinced that he will make a success of the move
Why F1’s secret rulebook is causing angst among the ranks
With competition on the track increasing as the 2021 Formula 1 season intensifies, any possible advantage is being aggressively fought over. This includes off the track, as F1's rules and regulations come under scrutiny which, for multiple reasons, is causing unease up and down the grid
The crucial improvements Russell needs to reproduce to soothe Styrian GP DNF "hurt"
Having been cruelly denied a long-awaited first points finish as a Williams driver at the Styrian GP, George Russell gets another crack at it this weekend at the Red Bull Ring. While his impressive pace remains unquestioned, a few other vital gains shown at recent races will be needed again to finally deliver
How the Rumble in the Jungle can inspire Mercedes to beat Red Bull
After a bruising Styrian Grand Prix, Mercedes announced that while it would limit the development of its W12 Formula 1 car, it was not willing to give up fighting Red Bull for the 2021 title. Although the team's development stream is slowing with a focus on 2022, Mercedes still has lots of options available to keep it in the fight
Styrian Grand Prix Driver Ratings
The Styrian GP was a weekend dominated by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, as others showed resurgence after key mistakes, while a couple of drivers were denied the chance to demonstrate their full potential. Here’s the driver ratings from the first race of the Red Bull Ring double-header which features two maximum scores
How Red Bull reversed an old Mercedes advantage in the Styrian GP
With Red Bull toppling Mercedes at another one of the Black Arrows strongholds, momentum is truly with it and Max Verstappen in the 2021 Formula 1 world title fight. But what became clear at the Styrian Grand Prix is Red Bull now also holds a key strength once possessed by its rival that could be pivotal in the championship chase
