Lando Norris’ “Unbelievably Hairy” Battle With George Russell Makes Helmut Marko’s Cheeky Championship Prediction Come True

What a nerve-racking race that was! Lando Norris started on pole with hopes for his second-ever F1 win, however, Max Verstappen had other plans. Starting at P2, the defending champion was thrown into a battle the second the lights went off. Both McLaren and Red Bull were fighting to take the first turn, and out of nowhere, George Russell took the lead in the Spanish Grand Prix.

The lead was not easy to keep, as Max Verstappen took the first opportunity he got and overtook the competition. During the early laps of the race, F1 got to see one of the most intense battles seen in the sport as Lando Norris and George Russell fought for P2. In Peter Windsor’s Spanish Grand Prix analysis, he broke down the battle that had everyone at the edge of their seats, and here is what he had to say.

Peter Windsor’s say on the Lando Norris and George Russell battle

Max Verstappen took the lead of the Spanish Grand Prix leaving Norris and Russell to battle it out between themselves. Although the battle could be called the highlight of the Grand Prix, this gave Verstappen enough time to increase the gap. When Peter Windsor spoke about the race, he explained how the battle ended with the better car winning. “I think they think that that actual pass went on for about five corners,” said Windsor, adding, “It began at turn one and two, and they just sort of ran side by side out of three, into four, through four, down to five, out of five, and it was only eventually when they filtered into single file that Lando managed to get in front of George.”

The cars were wheel-to-wheel on each turn as the four corners became the most demanding battle of the race. Windsor explained the nitty-gritty of the battle, saying, “But it was always going to be touch and go; it was always going to be unbelievably hairy—the racing between Lando and George Russell.” The two cars were split by a hair, as there was barely any room for either car to go. It was a surprise how there was no contact as the two drivers skill fully had a contactless battle.

After both teams came up with the upgrades for their cars, both drivers attained pole position, only to lose it to Verstappen. Windsor then spoke of the two Briton drivers going up against each other, saying, “It’s the first time I think we’ve ever really seen those two absolutely square, eyeball to eyeball, in a state of the race when their cars are just about as good as they can be.” Concluding his thoughts, he explained, “Obviously, the McLaren was a slightly better car, but there was not much wrong with the Mercedes in terms of its own package at that point. So, to see that racing going on was very impressive.”

While Norris emerged victorious in the battle against Russell, the same cannot be said against Verstappen; as Helmut Marko predicted. And guess what the Red Bull director had to say about who he thinks would win the Spanish Grand Prix.

Helmut Marko’s on-point prediction for the Spanish GP

Judging from free practice 1, Helmut Marko analyzed where Red Bull stands and the team was quick to make the changes. On the first day, the team faced difficulty with a flexing front wing, however, that was fixed before the qualifiers. To be able to fight for pole position, Max Verstappen took a tow from his teammate, only to send up P2 behind Lando Norris.

According to RacingNews365, Helmut Marko made his prediction and said, “If you look at Friday’s long runs, McLaren is clearly the favorite. But with the changes we have made, we can also assume that tire wear will be better.” Ultimately, it was the tire wear that kept Red Bull in the lead, despite Norris gaining time after his switch to the fresh soft tires.

Before the Spanish Grand Prix, McLaren’s laptime became something that Red Bull had to watch out for. Norris took pole position despite Verstappen taking a tow, which led to a P2 finish for Red Bull. Over the weekend, McLaren has proven itself to be extremely quick. However, the team figured out the configuration for Verstappen to take the win.

The season is picking up as it’s now a suspense as to who will win the next Grand Prix. Red Bull’s dominance has ended, but they are still managing to win races. Despite McLaren being the faster car in general, Verstappen managed to bring home the win. Considering this, do you think that Lando Norris has a chance to win his second race? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.