Timo Glock has cautioned Red Bull that McLaren is on the verge of competing closely, needing just a minor improvement to consistently challenge Max Verstappen’s RB20.
Despite Red Bull’s RB20 dominating the early rounds of this year’s championship, with Max Verstappen securing victories in four out of the first five races, McLaren has rapidly closed the gap. Their upgraded ‘2.0’ MCL38 made a significant impact in Miami, with Lando Norris seizing the opportunity to win the Grand Prix by seven seconds following a well-timed Safety Car intervention.
Timo Glock has highlighted McLaren’s progress, emphasizing that they are now poised to challenge Red Bull. “McLaren are absolutely there,” Glock asserted, noting that they need just one small tweak to maintain consistent pressure on Verstappen’s RB20.
The tension was palpable two weeks later at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, where Norris put Verstappen under intense pressure in the final 10 laps. Verstappen narrowly secured victory, crossing the finish line just 0.725 seconds ahead of Norris.
Glock believes McLaren’s resurgence means Verstappen and Red Bull can no longer relax. “The air is getting thinner up there,” said the Sky pundit. “Max has to go all in on the race. At the end, you could hear his pulse was a little higher on the radio. He couldn’t sit back.”
Lando Norris, brimming with confidence, declared McLaren’s intent to compete for race wins. “All it takes is one little thing, and they can really put him under pressure for the whole race,” Glock added.
Though Norris came tantalizingly close to overtaking Verstappen, Glock questioned if he had the necessary pace. Citing Oscar Piastri’s struggle to pass Carlos Sainz despite better speed, Glock suggested that overtaking remains a significant challenge.
“Lando Norris had to push hard, encountering numerous obstacles,” Glock explained. “Even if he had closed in, overtaking would have been difficult. We saw Piastri, who was faster than Sainz, unable to pass despite the DRS advantage.”
However, Glock acknowledged Norris’s strategy of pressuring Verstappen to force a mistake, particularly with track limits in play. “Norris knew that Verstappen couldn’t afford any errors. By pushing hard, he aimed to capitalize on any slip-up.”
Ultimately, Verstappen managed to maintain his lead with composure. “But Max Verstappen managed it again confidently,” Glock concluded, underscoring the narrow margin that currently separates the two teams and hinting at the exciting battles yet to come.
