Lando Norris warned why Max Verstappen has ‘perfect’ chance to prove everyone wrong at the Spanish Grand Prix

Lando Norris will be looking to keep the momentum from his Monaco win going at the Spanish Grand Prix.

The Monaco GP was a much-needed confidence boost for the Brit as he claimed his first pole and win since the season opener in Melbourne. With McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finishing third, Norris now moves just three points behind in the standings.

Reigning four-time champion Max Verstappen was over 20 seconds behind in fourth as Red Bull struggled for performance in the slow-speed corners. Coming into the Spanish Grand Prix 25 points behind Piastri, the Dutchman will be desperate for a strong weekend.

As it happens, it could work out in his favour. Red Bull begged the FIA to impose stricter front wing rules, having felt McLaren had pushed the limit in terms of flexibility.

In Barcelona, the FIA have imposed tighter restrictions on front wing flexing, with each team’s new design heavily examined before the weekend. Red Bull and Ferrari think McLaren will be hurt by the technical directive and believe it will change the pecking order.

McLaren feel it will have little to no effect, with Norris looking to grab his third win of the season this weekend. But Jolyon Palmer thinks Verstappen cannot be counted out.

Jolyon Palmer says Max Verstappen has the ‘perfect’ chance to win the Spanish Grand Prix

With the front wing directive and the fast flowing nature of the Barcelona circuit, Verstappen has the ‘perfect’ chance to fight the McLarens, who come into the weekend as the firm favourites.

Speaking via The Chequered Flag podcast, Palmer says the 27-year-old has to win this weekend if he wants to keep his title hopes alive.

“Trying to pick between the two of them is tight and I think those two are going to be evenly matched. I don’t see one of them massively walking away with it, they’ve got different skill sets maybe,” said Palmer, analysing McLaren’s chances in Spain.

“But I think we’re all still overlooking Max and I know he wasn’t at the front in Monaco, but Monaco was particularly not a Red Bull track.

“I think the fact that he was still there, picking up good points, he only lost three points to Piastri. And this was, on paper, one of the worst tracks for Red Bull in the season.

“I think Barcelona, he has to be winning this one really, or be right there in the mix. On paper, this is perfect for Verstappen.

“High-speed corners, fast and flowing, it’s where their car will be good and there’s this TD coming in, which Red Bull are pinning some hopes on.

“So, if Verstappen is going to be thinking about the title, this has to be a weekend that he wins, really and starts to show that Red Bull can fight with McLaren.”

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Can Lando Norris break Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s win streak at the Spanish Grand Prix?

Barcelona has not been a particularly strong track for Norris, having lost the lead in 2024 and finishing second behind Verstappen. In fact, it has not been a great hunting ground for McLaren, who have not won the Spanish GP since Kimi Raikkonen in 2005.

Since 2016, only Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have won the Grand Prix, the former winning the last three events. Red Bull are more suited to the high-speed corners and may have an advantage in 2025 with the new front wing regulations.

However, McLaren have an advantage with their aggressive cooling louvres, with hot temperatures forecast for the weekend. It proved key to the team’s success in Monaco and will be a huge benefit in Spain, especially on low average speed tracks.

Gary Anderson thinks Red Bull will have a ‘harder’ time with the new front wing directive, as it could upset the balance of the car. The Milton Keynes outfit have to get the RB21’s setup spot on if Verstappen wants any chance of grabbing a fifth title.