lando Norris has reportedly called out max verstappen for not.....

Lando Norris says it was “about time” Max Verstappen “felt a bit of nerves again” at the front of F1 and, in a change of mindset, the McLaren driver will not be underestimating the team’s prospects any longer ahead of a Monaco Grand Prix which could yet open up F1’s title fight.

Norris heads into F1’s most famous event on the back of the best sequence of results of his career having finished in the top-two in each of the past three grands prix, a run which included his maiden victory ahead of Verstappen in Miami.

The McLaren driver threatened a repeat triumph last Sunday in Imola when a late-race charge saw him finish within one second of Red Bull’s world champion. As Norris, his good friend, closed in, Verstappen was heard on team radio complaining about his car’s lack of grip and lapped traffic.

Speaking to Sky Sports News on Wednesday in Monaco, Norris was asked whether he had watched last Sunday’s race back and whether, had he known of the agitated nature of Verstappen’s late-race radio messages at the time, he could have done anything differently earlier in the race to further crank on the pressure on the race leader.

“I did everything I believed was right at the time,” said Norris.

When it’s so close you always think ‘what really could I have done that little bit differently’ but you always could have done something a little bit better or a little bit differently. I’m sure Max could have reviewed things and said the same thing.

“But nice to know it wasn’t an easy one for him. It’s about time someone put him under pressure and he felt a bit of nerves again, because I’m sure he hasn’t felt it for a while.

Although he crossed the line just 0.7s ahead of Norris, Verstappen’s win was nonetheless his fifth in the season’s first seven races and extended what stands as a commanding world championship lead to 48 points over his current nearest pursuer, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Norris is fourth in the standings, 60 points adrift of the summit.

The Englishman said after his win in Miami earlier this month that he “100 per cent” believed McLaren could challenge Red Bull for the title in 2025.

But with 17 races still to go in F1’s longest-ever season this year, Norris is also not ruling out an earlier challenge over the rest of 2024.

“We’re a third of the way through so we have a very long way to go, so I think many, many things can happen,” said the 24-year-old.

“But also Monaco is a place where anything can happen. So I would never say ‘no’ anymore.

“I’ve got fed up of myself kind of underestimating what we can achieve as a team. So we’re going to come in, we’re positive, we’ve had a very good run of results – second, first, second – and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to continue that here in Monaco.

“It’s not known to be our best track but, at the same time, anything can happen.”