A repeat of the dangerous 2021 Emilia Romagna GP might ensue today. Max Verstappen was trapped in a championship battle with Lewis Hamilton that year. As a result, he aggressively attacked the Mercedes driver at the beginning of the Imola GP, making contact but securing the lead. Lando Norris, who begins in P2, is expecting to give the Dutchman a taste of his own medicine today.

Imola in 2021 wasn’t a dream start for Verstappen. Hamilton beautifully secured his 99th Pole position and Sergio Perez outclassed the Dutchman, pushing him to P3. But the rain-wizard, 7-time champion, couldn’t hold on to P1 in Lap 1 of the race as Verstappen capitalized on his great start. After an aggressive wheel-to-wheel battle, Verstappen’s RB18 collided with Hamilton’s W12 and got him the race lead.

This year, Lando Norris hopes to do what Verstappen did 2 years ago. “If it cools down a bit more, then it could play into our hands and I can attack Max,” Norris told a reporter. While he continued with his interview, Verstappen sneakily trailed him and attempted to kick him. As the McLaren driver laughed and avoided the Red Bull shoe, the reporter questioned Verstappen about his view on Norris’ expectations of attacking him at the start. “Yeah, he can do that,” Verstappen nonchalantly said. “It’s not gonna change my life. It’s exciting,” he added.

The 3-time champion even acknowledged McLaren’s improved pace this weekend. Though he sounded confident about converting his 8th consecutive Pole into a 5th win in 2024, McLaren Team Principal Zak Brown said otherwise.

Zak Brown confident of both McLaren drivers beating Max Verstappen in Imola

McLaren is riding high on confidence after Lando Norris’s Miami GP victory. Their upgraded MCL38 has already surpassed Ferrari, Mercedes, and the Red Bull of Sergio Perez in terms of pace. Team Boss Zak Brown feels that the Woking outfit can sustain their success streak in Imola.

“I think the top 5 cars can win the race, and we have two cars in the top 5,” Brown confidently said pre-race. “We have 2 fast race cars surrounded by 3 or 4 quick race cars. I think we have the pace to win for both cars, and Oscar has to make the way forward.”

McLaren is showing glimpses of a 2020 Red Bull awakening. What Max Verstappen turned out to be for Lewis Hamilton the year after that, Norris could be for the reigning World Champion in 2025.