Red Bull team principal Christian Horner assumes Lando Norris is the number one driver at McLaren because he is "paid five times more" than Oscar Piastri.

Despite Norris being the leading driver in the drivers’ championship standings and the highest-paid racer in the McLaren stable, it has been Piastri who has shone of late.

The Australian claimed his second career win in Baku last time out and has now scored more points (135) in the European leg of the season than any other driver. 

Piastri is now 32 points behind Norris in the standings, having taken five top two finishes in his last seven races for the British-based team. 

Ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, McLaren boss Andrea Stella revealed the team would favour Norris in a bid to topple Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship.

However, Horner rebuffed McLaren's claim that they have two number one drivers, suggesting Norris is being paid significantly more than Piastri.

"Usually those are things that are dealt with behind closed doors, those things, so I'm not actually sure what those rules are," said Horner. 

"There still seems to be some confusion in them. 

"Every team is different. Our rules of engagement are very clear and what the focus is until the end of the year.

"We've got a driver that's fighting for the world championship. It's a team sport. So it's very clear that Checo's job is to support Max until the end of the year.

"Different teams operate different ways. When you've got an asset like Max Verstappen, you don't make him a No 2 driver.

"Lando Norris, they're paying five times what they pay Oscar, so I would assume he would be their number one driver, or their biggest asset.

"So, therefore, the confusion comes when you're not up front from the beginning of what your plans are."

Thanks to McLaren's success in Baku, they now have a 20-point lead over Red Bull in the constructor's championship. 

The British-based team now lead the standings for the first time since 2005, but their way to the top has not come without its problems. 

During the Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris initially refused to hand first place back to Piastri before team orders were eventually followed to give the Australian his maiden victory in the competition. 

But with McLaren's comments about prioritising Norris for the last seven races of the season, Horner believes that decision should have come much sooner. 

"I think the other one is causing them headaches because he [Piastri] is winning races, and he's doing a very good job," continued Horner.

"It was like when Daniel Ricciardo came to us in 2014.

"He was clearly meant to be the number two to Sebastian Vettel, and he won three races that year to Sebastian's none. Sometimes it causes you a headache like that.

"For sure, they took Oscar with the expectation, as Mercedes probably did with George [Russell] and Ferrari did with Carlos [Sainz], that you've got a prime asset and a support asset.

"And when the second driver starts outperforming the first driver, that's when you tend to have a headache."

McLaren's Oscar Piastri labelled his victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix the most stressful afternoon of his life after claiming his second career win in Formula One. 

Piastri, who started second on the grid, emerged victorious ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to put McLaren at the summit of the constructors' championship. 

The Australian's team-mate, Lando Norris, managed a fourth-place finish in Baku having endured a difficult qualifying that saw him start in 17th on Sunday.

Piastri's triumph saw him move up to 222 points in the drivers' championship, and he is now 13 points behind Leclerc in third place. 

The McLaren driver performed a huge lunge on the inside on lap 20 to take the lead from the Monegasque, defending admirably to secure the victory in Azerbaijan. 

“I tried at the start of the race to get in front but once I dropped out of DRS I just didn’t have the pace,” said winner Piastri.

“After the stop, I saw we were pretty close again and I felt like we had a little bit of extra grip.

"I had to go for it because I knew that if I didn’t get past at the start of the stint, I was never going to get past.

“I went for a pretty big lunge but managed to pull it off and then hang on for dear life for the next 35 laps.

"The last couple of laps, once [Leclerc] dropped out of DRS, were a little bit more relaxing, but there’s no such thing as a relaxing lap around here so it was hard work.

"It definitely goes down as one of the better races of my career.”

Piastri (two) and Norris (two) are the first pair of drivers to get two wins in the same season for McLaren since 2012 (Lewis Hamilton, four, and Jenson Button, three).

The Australian's victory also continued the British-based team's record of having one or both of their drivers on the podium in each of the last 13 races. 

It equalled their second-best run in the competition (13, which they recorded on two other occasions, between the United States and Portugal in 1990, and Germany 2011 and China 2012).

Up next on the F1 calendar is the Singapore Grand Prix, a race that saw Norris claim second last year, with Piastri finishing down in seventh. 

Lando Norris wants to try and topple Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship on merit, despite McLaren confirming they will prioritise the Briton over Oscar Piastri. 

Norris, who is currently 62 points behind Verstappen ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend, is looking to bounce back from his second-place finish in Monza. 

The Dutchman has not won in his last six Grand Prix's, which is his worst run since the end of the 2020 season, but Norris has only closed the gap to him by seven points in the standings. 

McLaren's team principal Andrea Stella revealed the team would "bias" their operations towards Norris as they seek to win the drivers' and constructors' titles this season.

"I don't want to be given a championship," Norris started. 

"Yes, it would be great to have a championship, and in the short term you feel amazing, but I don't think you'd be proud of that in the long run.

"It's not how I want to win a championship."

Norris has shown his ability to challenge the three-time world champion on track this season, with the Briton finishing on the podium 10 times so far. 

The pair also locked horns at the Austrian Grand Prix, with Norris and Verstappen colliding on lap 64, forcing the former to retire in what could prove to be a pivotal moment in deciding who claims the drivers' championship. 

Norris needs to gain an average of just under eight points a weekend over the remaining eight Grand Prix's to beat Verstappen to the title but wants to do it the right way.

"I want to win it by fighting against Max and beating Max, beating my competitors and proving I'm the best on track. That's how I want to race," Norris said. 

But both Norris and Piastri played down the idea the Australian might be asked to sacrifice a win for his team-mate.

Norris said: "Probably not. In general, probably for lower positions, but if he's fought for a win and he's deserving of a win, then he deserves to win.

"Oscar is still fighting for his own racing, he's still going out and doing his stuff. And it could be that there's no time this year that he needs to help me.

"It's more that I've got Oscar's help when needs be, but he's still going out with that intent of every session of fighting for himself."

"The team have asked me to help out, and I've said for the last few races that if I was asked, then I would," Piastri added.

"Of course, naturally, as a driver, it's never an easy thing or a simple thing to agree to. But again, there's a much bigger picture in play than just myself.

"It still needs some more discussions, but the main point is it's not just going to be me pulling over for Lando every race because that's how none of us, including Lando, want to race.

"Trying to go through all the scenarios is impossible. We don't want to discuss that publicly, but the main one is if we feel one has done a much better job on a weekend, whichever way it is, we want that person to be rewarded.

"And that's where it becomes a little bit tricky still."

McLaren are set to prioritise Lando Norris over team-mate Oscar Piastri in their bid to win both Formula One championship titles, starting in Baku this weekend. 

McLaren currently sit second in the constructors' championship, eight points behind Red Bull, with both Norris and Piastri also in the top five of the drivers' standings.

Having tossed and turned about how to attack the final eight races of the season, the British-based team have opted to back Norris ahead of the Australian. 

However, Andrea Stella said the decision to back the Brit in dethroning Max Verstappen would only happen within the team's principles of sportsmanship and fairness.

"The overall concept is we are incredibly determined to win, but we want to win in the right way," Stella said. 

Norris arrives at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix off the back of a third-placed finish in Monza, coming in six seconds behind team-mate Piastri. 

But Norris was able to add 16 points to his drivers' championship tally, closing the gap to Verstappen to 62 points after the Dutchman finished in sixth. 

Piastri finds himself 106 points behind Verstappen, but Stella continued to reiterate McLaren's 'papaya rules'. 

"We [will] bias our support to Lando but we want to do it without too much compromise on our principles," he said.

"Our principles are that the team interest always comes first. Sportsmanship for us is important in the overall way we go racing.

"And then we want to be fair to both drivers."

Until now, McLaren had allowed Norris and Piastri to race each other without interference from the team.

But a series of meetings at McLaren have resulted in a shift in policy after failing to capitalise on a one-two in qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix last time out.

Norris, who started on pole, endured another slow start out of the blocks, allowing Piastri to narrowly squeeze past his team-mate on the opening lap. 

But in doing so, it allowed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to position himself between the two McLarens, with the Monegasque eventually roaring to victory on Italian soil.

"What we don't want to see any more is a situation like in Monza in which we enter a chicane P1/P2, and we exit P1/P3, because that is a detriment to the team," Stella said.

"The team interests come first and these are the situations that above all we need to fix, because eventually, as a matter of fact, the way we entered the race in Monza left the door open for this situation.

"After Monza, three objectives: we need to make sure that anything that happens on track is not to the detriment of the team.

"Second objective, how do we win both championships, both drivers committed to help? But what we don't want to do is win in a reckless way.

"Those are the three topics and they define the way we go racing in Baku. This will be updated after Baku."

Verstappen triumphed in seven of the first 10 races of the 2024 season, with the Dutchman looking destined to run away with the drivers' championship once again. 

But Red Bull's recent struggles on the track have been alarming, with Verstappen now six grands prix without a victory (his worst streak since the penultimate GP of 2020 when he went 11 in a row).

It has allowed Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren to catch up in the respective championship standings, with Red Bull left bemused as to why a once-dominant car has seen its performance drop so dramatically. 

But another team's misfortune has certainly been McLaren's gain, with Stella assuring that both Norris and Piastri were onboard with the shift in philosophy. 

"The conversations have been very collaborative," Stella concluded.

"Even when I said to Oscar: 'Would you be available to give up a victory?' He said: 'It's painful, but if it's the right thing to do now, I will do it'.

"Every driver is hard-wired to go for a victory. So I am always very impressed by the level of team spirit and maturity and collaboration that we found in this period."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Lando Norris - McLaren

With all the talk surrounding Norris ahead of this weekend's race in Baku, the Brit will be keen to make amends and continue his pursuit of Verstappen. 

For the first time in 2024, Norris has finished ahead of the Dutchman in two straight races. Throughout Verstappen's dry spell, the Brit has only closed the gap on him by seven points in the drivers' championship, though. 

While Norris' full focus will be on closing the gap to Verstappen, he has the opportunity to put himself among the elite British racers to have competed in the competition. 

The 24-year-old is one podium away from equalling Stirling Moss and John Surtees to enter the top 10 of British drivers with the most podiums (24).

If he does achieve that feat, David Coulthard (62) and Eddie Irvine (26) will be the only British non-world champions who have achieved more podiums than Norris in the history of F1.

But there is also a lot at stake for McLaren. They are now just eight points behind Red Bull in the constructors' standings, knowing a better finish than their opponents will see them top the rankings for the first time since Brazil in 2005.

And they have reason for optimism too. McLaren have seen one or both of their drivers stand on the podium in each of the last 12 races in the competition. 

Should they do so again in Baku, it will equal the team's second-best run in the history of the competition (13, which it recorded on two other occasions, between the United States and Portugal in 1990, and Germany 2011 and China 2012), only behind a sequence of 19 between Australia 2007 and Malaysia 2008.

Sergio Perez - Red Bull

No one saw Red Bull's recent struggles coming after a dominant start to the season, but they could spring a surprise with a driver who relishes the Baku street circuit. 

Sergio Perez is still waiting to add to his five wins he has managed with the Austrian-based team, but he may be confident of adding to that tally in Azerbaijan. 

This weekend's grand prix will be the circuit's seventh appearance in the F1 calendar, with the Mexican the only driver to prevail twice around the Baku track (2021 and 2023). 

In fact, it is the only grand prix where the Mexican has won more than one race in his career. 

Given his impressive form in Azerbaijan, Perez has also scored the most points (100) in Baku, the only track on which he has reached the 100-point mark. 

Only a Lewis Hamilton victory and fastest lap would see the seven-time world champion overtake Perez this time around (75 points for Hamilton). 

However, the Mexican has now gone 10 consecutive grands prix without finishing in the top five of the standings, the same number of times as in his previous 41 races in the competition.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 303

Lando Norris (McLaren) - 241

Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 217

Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 197

Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 184

Constructors

Red Bull - 446

McLaren - 438

Ferrari - 407

Mercedes - 292

Aston Martin - 74

Zak Brown insisted that McLaren's papaya rules were made to be bent after Monza reignited the debate over whether team orders are needed at the British-based team.

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris claimed second and third behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, with the latter enduring another poor start after securing pole in qualifying. 

The Australian was able to make his way past his McLaren team-mate heading into Turn 4, with Piastri ultimately able to finish ahead of Norris at the end of the race.

However, McLaren recorded their fourth-best ever run of having one or both drivers on the podium (12), while also closing the gap in the constructors' championship. 

The gap to Red Bull now stands at eight points ahead of Baku in two weeks, with Norris also closing the gap to Max Verstappen to 62 points in the drivers' championship.

But in allowing their drivers to fight, McLaren opened the door for Ferrari to pounce, but Brown defended Piastri's move on his team-mate in the opening exchanges. 

“It was aggressive, it was an aggressive move [by Piastri],” Brown told Sky Sports F1 after the race.

“Their start was great and that was what we had discussed, kind of get behind the other and fan out to make sure nobody else could get by.

“I think Lando was caught by surprise with that move, thinking let’s just tuck into a one-two and see if we can pull a bit of a gap, so it’s something we’ll discuss internally.

“Papaya rules are it’s your team mate; race him hard, race him clean, don’t touch, that happened.

"It was an aggressive pass so that’s a conversation we’ll have, that was a bit nerve wracking on pit wall but it’s really just respect your team mate.

"Lando got a bad run out of that corner as well so it would have been nice to see them run one-two a bit longer.

"They didn’t touch, it was an aggressive pass but a clean pass.”

Despite McLaren's recent success, Ferrari's triumph at their home race has brought them back into contention for the constructors' championship and are just 31 points further back. 

The British-based team have failed to win the title since 1998 when Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard worked together to deliver their eighth constructors' title. 

However, Brown remained firm in his assessment that McLaren would not prioritise one driver over the other for the remaining eight races of the season. 

“They are both young drivers who want to win. We have always believed in having two number ones," Brown said. 

"That’s always been McLaren’s way, it can be difficult to manage – we’ve seen it with Senna and Prost.

“They get along great, they do race each other clean and it’s philosophical – are you a one-car team or a two-car team?

"The easiest thing would have been for Lando to just run away with it, and then not have to put difficult decisions on the pit wall, but Andrea and I are taking it one race at a time.”

Lando Norris admitted his pole position at the Italian Grand Prix was "a surprise" after McLaren secured a second qualifying one-two of the season at Monza. 

Norris, who is aiming to become the first McLaren driver since Lewis Hamilton in 2010 to win consecutive races, looks good to close the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen, who finished in seventh. 

The Briton was just 0.109 seconds ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri, with Mercedes' George Russell 0.113s off the pace in third after an incredibly tight Saturday session.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were fourth and fifth for Ferrari at the team's home event, with Hamilton in sixth. 

Sergio Perez enjoyed a better qualifying session this time around and will start the race in eighth, while Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10. 

Norris pipped Piastri by just 0.035s on his first lap in the top-10 shootout, before improving his time on his second attempt despite not being happy with his lap.

"To have a first and second when the field is as tight as it has been all weekend is a little bit of a surprise, but a nice one," Norris said.

"My lap, it hurts me to say it, was not a great lap. My first one was. But still good enough for pole and still very happy.

"There are a lot of quick drivers behind in quick cars, so I am not expecting an easy race. Plenty of question marks but a lot of excitement, I'm sure."

Verstappen, however, struggled with balance in the final qualifying session, having been expected to battle the two McLarens after a strong showing in Q2. 

The three-time champion described the car as "shocking" at one point, and will have to come from midfield to claim a first win since the Spanish Grand Prix. 

Should the Dutchman fail to win at Monza, it will be the first time since the 2020 season he has gone six races without a victory. He had a run of 11 winless races in a row that year from Spain to Sakhir.

"Q3 was very bad on both of my tyre sets. I just picked up a lot of understeer so I couldn't attack any corners any more," Verstappen said. 

"I had to back it out a lot mid-corner and you lose a lot of lap time like that.

"Somehow in Q2 it wasn’t that bad. I did a 1:19.6 at that point and we were almost the quickest. We know our limitations and problems but at that point I think we had it fairly under control.

"But I went into Q3 and the balance was completely out, and I don't really understand how that happened."

Qualifying results

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
7. Max Versappen (Red Bull)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

Andrea Stella insisted that placing full focus on Lando Norris as McLaren's number one driver was "not a good approach" for the last nine races of the Formula 1 season.

Norris, who won his second career race at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend, closed the gap to Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship to 70 points. 

His dominance was emphasised by the result, finishing 22.896 seconds in front of Verstappen, the largest winning margin by a driver since Lewis Hamilton in 2021.

Norris' McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri finished fourth in Zandvoort, largely blamed for being caught up in traffic, which meant finishing behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

The Australian currently has 179 points in the drivers' championship standings, 46 behind Norris, and claimed his maiden win in the competition in Hungary back in July. 

However, the triumph did not come without its controversy, with Norris initially ignoring team orders to hand first place back to Piastri before eventually cooperating.

Zak Brown said afterwards that deciding whether to install a number one driver was up to Stella, but the Italian said the pair would be treated equally.

"I think when it comes to these conversations about being the number one, I don't think that's a good way of approaching racing," Stella said.

"We'd rather approach racing from fairness, integrity, and then see what come from this kind of approach."

Piastri is the current driver on the grid with the best run of Grand Prix's finished (19). If he finishes in Monza, he will become only the second McLaren driver to finish 20 races in a row in F1 after his current team-mate Norris (21 between Abu Dhabi 2022 and Sao Paulo 2023).

McLaren's improvements have seen them have one or both of their drivers on the podium in the last 11 races.

The Italian Grand Prix offers the team a chance to record their fourth best-ever run in the competition (12), with eyes on their first constructors' title since 1998. 

"The first target is to win the Constructors' Championship," Piastri said. 

"I think naturally, if we're closing the gap in the constructors', there's probably a good chance that we're both closing it in the drivers' [championship] as well.

"I'm not that far behind Lando in the standings either, so of course if the call comes later in the year and it's a realistic shot, then I'll do my part for the team.

"But I think at the moment, the gap is big for both of us so we'll focus on just trying to do the best job that we can and see where we end up a bit later in the year.

"I think for me the biggest thing is just trying to maximise every weekend.

That gives the team the most opportunities for the constructors', that gives me the most opportunities for whatever occurs in the drivers' standings.

"If there's an opportunity for myself to win the drivers' standings, then I'll try my best to make sure I'm there."

Lewis Hamilton believes his weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix is "done" after being knocked out in the second qualifying session.

He has also since been hit with a three-place grid penalty after he was deemed to have intentionally impeded Sergio Perez during the first session.

As such, he will now begin the race in 15th instead of the original starting position of 12th.

Hamilton was already left frustrated by his performance in qualifying and wrote off any chances of him earning a fourth podium in as many races.

"It just went downhill like a domino effect from the moment with Checo [Perez], then the balance just got more and more snappy, more and more 'oversteery' – it was terrible," he said before being hit with the grid penalty.

"It's definitely very, very frustrating, naturally, but it is what it is. It's kind of the weekend done, and I'll have to move on to next week [at Monza].

"I think ultimately, if everyone had had a dry P3, we probably would have done a bit of a better job with the set-up, maybe, for qualifying, but still, I think just [the] performance wasn't there from my side."

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen will start his home Grand Prix from second after being pipped to pole position by Lando Norris by 0.356s.

It is the first time he has not started top of the grid at Zandvoort since the race's reintroduction to the calendar in 2021, while he is aiming to win the Dutch Grand Prix for the fourth consecutive year.

While Verstappen still had some complaints about the lack of pace in his car, he was optimistic that he could challenge for the title on Sunday.

"I think the whole qualifying we just lacked a bit of pace," the reigning world champion said. "I tried the best I could. I'm still very happy of course to be on the front row.

"I'm happy with second. I think after Friday as well this is a good result.

"We'll give it a good go. Of course, when you're more than three-tenths behind in qualifying, I think we have to be realistic. I'll just try to have a good race tomorrow."

Alex Albon was disqualified from Dutch Grand Prix qualifying after his floor body failed technical checks.

He had qualified in eighth, but will now start at the back of the grid with Williams teammate Logan Sargeant, who did not compete in qualifying after a heavy crash in the final practice session. 

Lando Norris claimed pole for the Dutch Grand Prix but expects Max Verstappen to "put up a good fight" in his home race.

The McLaren driver had cemented himself as the favourite following promising practice sessions and produced a stunning lap to edge the Dutchman by 0.356s in the final round of qualifying.

It is the first time that Verstappen will not start on pole at Zandvoort in his career and will face stiff competition as he aims for a fourth-straight win in the Netherlands, with Oscar Piastri behind him in third and Mercedes' George Russell in fourth. Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez rounds out the top five.

While Norris had been self-critical in the lead-up to the mid-season break, he was much more optimistic about his chances of claiming a second-ever Formula 1 victory at Zandvoort.

"An amazing day. It's nice to be back and start with a pole. It was a nice lap, honestly," he said after qualifying.

"The qualifying was always pretty smooth, and I put in some good laps, especially the one at the end, which is always the most important. A great job by the team, and I'm happy.

"It's not easy, but I felt comfortable out there, the car was feeling amazing. We've got some upgrades on the car for the first time in a while and everything's working very well, so a big thanks to the team too.

"I'm sure it's going to be tough. Max has been quick all weekend. I know we got him today, but he's still second, and he's going to be putting up a good fight, especially at his home race. I'm looking forward to it."

Charles Leclerc, in sixth, is Ferrari's sole representative in the top 10, while Alex Albon finished eighth, in between the two Aston Martin drivers, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll seventh and ninth respectively.

Pierre Gasly finished 10th, while Lewis Hamilton will start 12th after being knocked out in the second session after a mistake on the penultimate corner of his final lap.

The seven-time champion also faces a stewards' investigation to see whether he impeded Perez in the first qualifying session. 

Top 10

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

4. George Russell (Mercedes)

5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

8. Alex Albon (Williams)

9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

George Russell believes this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix may be decided by the finest of margins after going quickest during Friday's practice in Zandvoort. 

Russell, who was denied a third career win at Spa for his car being underweight last time out, finished the session 0.061 seconds quicker than McLaren's Oscar Piastri. 

Mercedes' recent improvements were on show once more, with Russell's team-mate Lewis Hamilton finishing 0.111 behind him as Lando Norris ended up in fourth. 

Defending world champion Max Verstappen endured another difficult time out on track, ending up in fifth ahead of tomorrow's qualifying sessions. 

But despite the Dutchman's underwhelming display on the track, Russell did not rule out the threat of Verstappen, who has won the race on the last three ocassions. 

“Really difficult out there because it was so windy. But the car was performing really well. It looks to be quite a close battle with the McLarens and Max.”

Hamilton, meanwhile, saw room for improvement in his own performance as he looks to continue his impressive form before the mid-season break. 

The seven-time world champion has reached four podiums in the last five Formula 1 races, while also scoring the most points (95) than anyone else in the last five races. 

But should he record four consecutive podiums for the first time since 2022, Hamilton acknowledged that his set-up must be spot, starting in qualifying.  

“It was OK today. A big, big difference compared to last year so the car is feeling more alive and we’re right up there at the front," Hamilton said. 

“I didn’t get the most out of it (on the single lap), there is still performance, left. I just have to work on set-up.

"I don’t know if I looked particularly quick (on the long run) but the set-up I had for a single lap was hindering the long run.”

Norris will also be looking to close the gap in the drivers' championship, currently sitting 78 points behind Verstappen with 10 races of the season remaining. 

And after a promising session on Friday, the Briton is confident that McLaren can continue to push and challenge the Silver Arrows this weekend. 

“Mercedes look a bit quicker but it is close. I don't think there is a quickest. It depends on different factors.

“We have been in good form since Miami but not brought any updates since Miami. This weekend’s our first time trying to make a bit more progress with the car.

“(I’m) optimistic, but have no idea whether it’s working or not how it’s performing at the minute.

“Today was a reasonable day and we are there or thereabouts. A little bit more to find tonight hopefully and we can challenge the Mercedes.”

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is expecting a "flat-out" fight for supremacy in Formula One over the next 18 months.

Austrian constructor Red Bull have been the dominant force in F1 over the past few years, with Max Verstappen winning three straight drivers' titles and the team taking the constructors' trophy in 2022 and 2023.

The early stages of the 2024 season followed a similar pattern with flying Dutchman Verstappen winning four of the opening five races but there have now been seven different victors through 14 rounds.

Verstappen still holds a healthy 78-point lead from second-place Lando Norris in the driver standings but McLaren are only 42 points adrift of Red Bull in the constructor table, with Ferrari 63 back and improving Mercedes 142 behind.

Horner, in quotes reported by F1's official website, thinks there is going to be a battle between all four of those F1 heavyweights in the near future.

"I think it’s great for the sport, and it was almost inevitable when you get consistency of regulations, you always get convergence," he said.

"I remember when I first came into Formula 1, Ron Dennis banging that drum back in 2005. Convergence has always brought the teams together. 

"Of course we have a big regulations change in 2026 that will cause divergence but, between now and then, the next 18 months I think it will be flat-out between the four teams."

F1 returns after a near month-long break with the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend, Verstappen's home race.

Zak Brown has admitted to being shocked by McLaren's competitive performance in the Formula One world championship this season.

McLaren sit just 42 points adrift of Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship, with lead driver Lando Norris also second to Max Verstappen in the standings.

The team have achieved podium finishes in their last 10 races, and they are well placed to challenge across the back half of the campaign.

Brown, however, was not expecting such success so soon.

"If I were to sit here and say I'm not surprised, that would be disingenuous," Brown told BBC Sport.

"Red Bull had such an advantage over everyone and Mercedes has been so dominant.

"I felt like we'd continue to close the gap. Did I think we would be here at the summer break, one race away from getting the lead?

"That race would have to be first and second and fastest lap, and do I think it's going to happen like that? No. But if we keep the same trajectory we've been on the last six, seven races, we'll be where we need to be by the end of the year.

"I thought we might get where we are now by 2025. I didn't think we would be where we are now in 2024. But I'm not complaining."

Both Norris and Oscar Piastri have claimed their maiden race wins this season indicative of an increasingly competitive McLaren.

Brown credits team principal Andrea Stella, who was appointed ahead of the 2023 season, for the growing success.

"He unlocked the talent that we already had here," Brown said. "We've got approximately 1,000 people here in F1. I changed three. But it was three leaders. So, 997 are the same people who gave us the [uncompetitive] car at the beginning of 2023.

"A leader's job is to get the most out of their people and that's what we didn't have previously. We weren't able to let the talent we have in here flourish.

"Andrea communicates very well. He listens very well. He's very hard-working. He's very technical. He leads by example. All the traits you would want in a great leader. He unlocked the potential this team clearly had sitting there."

While Piastri continued McLaren's podium success at the Belgian Grand Prix, Norris could not make gains in the driver standings despite Verstappen having to deal with a 10-place grid penalty.

He finished fifth, one place behind Red Bull’s reigning champion. Brown, however, sees these experiences as a learning curve for everyone.

"We've all made a variety of errors, which to me are learning experiences," he reflected.

"I thought [Mercedes team principal] Toto [Wolff] was accurate with his comment. He said: 'Well, sometimes you figure these things out once they've kind of been put on your plate.'

"So if I look at the mistakes we've made - whether those are drivers or us, kinda doesn't matter; we're one team - we wouldn't make these mistakes again. We're learning. And I think maybe because we have got where we are quicker than we thought, it shows we still have learning to do.

"Lando is trying to fight for a world championship. He's going for it. He's learning, as are we. So I'm not concerned about it."

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has said the Austrian-based teams RB20 "didn't deliver what was expected" in every area this season. 

Red Bull claimed a sixth Constructors' Championship in 2023, with Max Verstappen winning his third World Drivers' Championship in a row, scoring 575 points, which was more than double of second placed team-mate, Sergio Perez. 

Despite their dominance, the team wanted to remain at the top of the grid and made significant changes to this year's RB20. 

Verstappen and Perez would secure three one-two finishes in the first four Grand Prix's of the season, but performances of late have seen the team's around them close in.

Both McLaren and Mercedes have continually improved and have looked competitive since May, with Wache saying the cars' performance this year has fallen below expectations. 

"I would say not really. We improved compared to last year, without doubt, but we didn’t deliver what we expected in some areas," Wache told Motorsport.com. 

"Especially in the high-speed corners we expected a little bit more than what we have. Without thinking about the competitiveness of the car, so just based on our own references, we expected a little bit more with our tools.

"In medium-speed and low-speed we improved quite a lot compared to last year. We were a little bit weaker in the high-speed corners compared to last year relative to the competition.

"In kerb riding we are clearly weak, but we were already last year. I think we didn’t make the improvement we expected in that aspect."

While Verstappen still holds a comfortable advantage over McLaren's Lando Norris in the Drivers' Championship, the same cannot be said for the Constructors'.

McLaren are now just 42 points behind Red Bull, with Ferrari just 11 points behind the British-based team. 

That subsequent dip in results has largely been down to the form of Perez, who is yet to finish on the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix in April. 

Verstappen's fourth placed finish at the Belgian Grand Prix last time out was also the first time since 2020 that the Dutchman had failed to win a race in four attempts. 

Despite their recent form, it did not come as a surprise to Wache, who said he expected the rival teams to catch up as the season went on. 

"We expected the opposition to come earlier, to be honest with you," Wache added. "When we started the 2022 season, we didn’t have the quickest car. 

"Ferrari had the quickest car in the beginning of 2022. We expected a massive competition in 2023, but that didn’t happen.

"In 2024 we also expected the competition to be there more or less from the start, because the performance you can find with the car is limited under the same regulations.

"After the first four or five races the others came back, maybe with a bit of delay, but we expected that from the start.

"The limitations you have with these regulations are quite high and what you can find to make more steps is getting more difficult. Then it is almost sure that the opposition will come back at some point."

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has said the Austrian-based teams RB20 "didn't deliver what was expected" in every area this season. 

Red Bull claimed a sixth Constructors' Championship in 2023, with Max Verstappen winning his third World Drivers' Championship in a row, scoring 575 points, which was more than double of second placed team-mate, Sergio Perez. 

Despite their dominance, the team wanted to remain at the top of the grid and made significant changes to this year's RB20. 

Verstappen and Perez would secure three one-two finishes in the first four Grand Prix's of the season, but performances of late have seen the team's around them close in.

Both McLaren and Mercedes have continually improved and have looked competitive since May, with Wache saying the cars' performance this year has fallen below expectations. 

"I would say not really. We improved compared to last year, without doubt, but we didn’t deliver what we expected in some areas," Wache told Motorsport.com. 

"Especially in the high-speed corners we expected a little bit more than what we have. Without thinking about the competitiveness of the car, so just based on our own references, we expected a little bit more with our tools.

"In medium-speed and low-speed we improved quite a lot compared to last year. We were a little bit weaker in the high-speed corners compared to last year relative to the competition.

"In kerb riding we are clearly weak, but we were already last year. I think we didn’t make the improvement we expected in that aspect."

While Verstappen still holds a comfortable advantage over McLaren's Lando Norris in the Drivers' Championship, the same cannot be said for the Constructors'.

McLaren are now just 42 points behind Red Bull, with Ferrari just 11 points behind the British-based team. 

That subsequent dip in results has largely been down to the form of Perez, who is yet to finish on the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix in April. 

Verstappen's fourth placed finish at the Belgian Grand Prix last time out was also the first time since 2020 that the Dutchman had failed to win a race in four attempts. 

Despite their recent form, it did not come as a surprise to Wache, who said he expected the rival teams to catch up as the season went on. 

"We expected the opposition to come earlier, to be honest with you," Wache added. "When we started the 2022 season, we didn’t have the quickest car. 

"Ferrari had the quickest car in the beginning of 2022. We expected a massive competition in 2023, but that didn’t happen.

"In 2024 we also expected the competition to be there more or less from the start, because the performance you can find with the car is limited under the same regulations.

"After the first four or five races the others came back, maybe with a bit of delay, but we expected that from the start.

"The limitations you have with these regulations are quite high and what you can find to make more steps is getting more difficult. Then it is almost sure that the opposition will come back at some point."

Oscar Piastri says McLaren will prioritise winning the Formula 1 constructors' championship over helping Lando Norris win the drivers' championship.

Red Bull started the season strongly, getting one-twos in three of the opening four races, but McLaren have since closed the gap in the constructors' standings to 42 points.

The team have improved, particularly in the three months since Norris took his first Grand Prix victory in Miami, and were on the podium for the 10th consecutive race after Piastri’s second-place finish in Belgium last Sunday.

There was a contentious moment at Hungaroring the week before when Norris refused to give the lead back to Piastri, who eventually won the race after being let back in front by his team-mate with two laps to go.

Norris is 78 points adrift of championship leader Max Verstappen, but Piastri is confident they are both on the same page when it comes to to pushing McLaren up the standings.

"The first objective is to win the constructors' for the team, and I think we've got a very strong chance of doing that," Piastri told Sky Sports News. "We've been closing the gap to Red Bull in the last six or seven races.

"I think for me, the drivers' standings, of course, I'd like to finish as high as I can. I'm not out of the running for the championship myself. It's a very big ask, but I want to string together good races, build consistency on that front, and really help the team to win the constructors'.

"If it comes to a situation where I need to help Lando later in the year, then, of course, it is something we'll discuss, but the first target is to win the constructors' and try to do a good job for myself as well."

McLaren were not expected to be contenders for the championship at the start of the season, but Red Bull have faltered in recent weeks to leave the door open.

Sergio Perez has failed to finish above seventh since the Miami Grand Prix, while Verstappen's last victory came in Spain at the end of June.

Though they are still in with a chance of topping the standings with 10 races remaining, Piastri is confident that, no matter this season's result, they can build some momentum for next year as well.

"At the end of last year we had a very quick car on certain circuits, but we really needed to rely on those circuits to get good results," the Australian added.

"This year, we've just been quick everywhere and that's been a joy to be a part of, but a real confidence boost to everybody that we're not relying on the high-speed corners like we were last year.

"We can rock up and be pretty confident we'll be, if not the quickest, then one of the quickest, and I think that sets us up really nicely for next year.

"I feel like I'm growing in confidence. Getting some more good results and just learning more through my second year as well.

"I want to learn as much as I can and have as much success as I can this year. But ultimately, I think trying to set up a really strong run next year is a realistic target at the moment."