Norris: 'Silly' to count Verstappen out of title fight

Lando Norris is adamant the drivers' title won't be restricted to just him and Oscar Piastri, reiterating Thursday that it's absurd to count out reigning champion Max Verstappen.

"I think mathematically, there's still probably the whole grid that can win the championship at the minute," Norris said in a press conference. "So, if you think it's just out of me and Oscar, then I think you're a bit silly. I think there's plenty of opportunities. Max can still win. I think Ferrari ... I expect them to get better through the season."

The British driver continued: "We're racing Max every weekend. He's been on the podium several times. He's won races. He beat us in Imola fair and square because he was quicker. So I don't know what possibly makes you think that it's only between me and Oscar."

The McLaren drivers rank first and second in the drivers' standing with Piastri leading Norris by three points. The duo have controlled a majority of the season with the Australian collecting four wins and three poles while Norris has two wins and two poles. Verstappen, the four-time defending F1 champ, is 25 points adrift from Piastri while carrying two race wins and three poles of his own this year.

Piastri agreed with his teammate's sentiment that the Dutch pilot is "definitely" still in the mix for the title.

"I don't think he can be counted out," the championship leader said, according to Sky Sports. "The gap is not very large at the moment, and they've genuinely been competitive at a decent number of circuits now."

However, Verstappen downplayed his title odds, saying that for him, "it doesn't feel like a fight."

The upcoming Spanish Grand Prix, which Verstappen has won three consecutive times from 2022-24, has been dominated by buzz that the FIA's clamp down on front wing flexibility could affect the current pecking order.