Lando Norris has told Red Bull to focus on doing a “better job” in response to Jos Verstappen seemingly querying the legality of McLaren’s car.
Jos, father of four-time world champion Max Verstappen, reposted a video by an X user which compared the supposed flexing of the McLaren rear wing to that of the Red Bull.
The caption on the video read: “Yeah the season definitely starts in Spain, McLaren is a monster when it comes to wing flex.”
The FIA has already made changes to its technical directives this season in relation to the rear-wing slot gap, after fears some teams were using a ‘mini-DRS’.
Yeah the season definitely starts in Spain, McLaren is a monster when it comes to wing flex pic.twitter.com/E9JT4V0XVI
— Cytrus 🍋 (@cytrusf1) April 9, 2025
There will be tougher tests on front-wing flexing introduced from next month’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Norris is confident the McLaren car falls well within the rules and branded such comments “clueless”.
“I think people get it the wrong way round. We’re all fully within the rules. We’re doing a good job,” the McLaren driver said at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
“Red Bull have had plenty of time to do the same thing as us and they’re not. It is more that they should do a better job rather than keep complaining about things.
“The rules are there. We’re within the rules and that’s all you can ask for.
“There are plenty of things Red Bull do that also push the limits just as much.
“I think also the people who just look at these videos are a bit clueless.
“How do they know it’s the rear wing that’s flexing? They don’t, it could be the whole car so people can just come up with what they want but really they have absolutely no idea.”
The FIA confirmed that it is aware of the footage but that no official complaint has been made.
Verstappen, who closed to within one point of Norris after victory in Japan last week, hinted he had seen the clip.
He said: “I don’t make the rules and I’m also not the one enforcing them.
“What I see, probably a lot of people see but that’s it.”
McLaren won the first two races of the season – one each for Norris and Oscar Piastri – leading to predictions of a title battle between the team-mates.
Norris admitted he could maybe have taken more risks to beat Verstappen in Japan.
While McLaren continue to balance the title aspirations of both their drivers, Verstappen is the sole championship focus at Red Bull – who replaced Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda ahead of last weekend.
“For them, it’s like they can easily take all the risks they want,” Norris added.
“Their only thing is trying to win the race so at times it might be easier, at times it might be more difficult.
“He (Verstappen) just doesn’t have a team-mate to compete against so it’s the easy thing for him because he’s so good.
“He’s just not had a team-mate that is good enough yet. I hope one day he does, to put him under a little bit of pressure but he’s also just such a good driver that he destroys his team-mates and he’s levels above the rest of them.”
