Le Mans winner urges McLaren to improve mental strength to defeat Max Verstappen in 2025
Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen pinpointed a key drawback of Lando Norris and McLaren against Max Verstappen.
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Lando Norris and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)
Lando Norris and McLaren put up a fierce fight against Max Verstappen for the 2024 world title. Albeit, the British driver failed to topple the reigning world champion. Now, legendary Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen has highlighted on key aspect the Woking-based team needs to work on.
Verstappen did feel the heat in 2024 after a four-month winless run. The Dutch driver even had a few on-track collisions with Norris. Nevertheless, the Red Bull driver knew how to deal with pressure and bounced back quickly. This allowed the 27-year-old to grab his fourth title at Las Vegas. While the McLaren driver was slammed by critics for being mentally weaker compared to his arch-rival.
Kristensen emphasized that to compete against Verstappen, Lando Norris and McLaren need to be at their 100% at every race. Moreover, he claimed that the Briton not only be faster, but mentally stronger next year in order to not succumb to pressure in the title fight.
If they want to challenge Max, everything has to be right. They have to operate at 100 per cent – every race. They have to be not only faster, but also mentally stronger, especially during the opening laps. It’s about not succumbing to the pressure.
Tom Kristensen said, as reported by GPBlog
Max Verstappen not bothered by being slow in a couple of races
Tom Kristensen insisted that Max Verstappen remains unbothered when he is not quick in a round or two. The Le Mans legend claimed that the Dutchman knew he would go on to dominate yet again in the next race. As such, the four-time world champion can optimally manage situations even when Red Bull is on the backfoot.
If he [Max Verstappen] is not fast, it doesn’t matter [to him] much, because he knows he will dominate again next time.
Tom Kristensen added
Lando Norris and McLaren have learnt lessons over the course of 2024. However, the Briton understands that he needs to do a lot more if he wants to win the upcoming season. Fans can expect to see a strong contest between Norris and Verstappen this year.
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Armaan Agarwal
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