Lando Norris has been the closest challenger to Max Verstappen at the last two F1 events; the McLaren driver is looking for a hat-trick of podiums at the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend; watch the Belgian GP from Spa-Francorchamps live on Sky Sports F1 from July 28-30
Thursday 27 July 2023 16:08, UK
Nico Rosberg believes a win "is coming" for McLaren after Lando Norris secured consecutive podiums with second place at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Prior to Sunday, McLaren's last back-to-back podiums came in 2012 and they appeared to have the joint-second fastest car along with Mercedes at the Hungaroring.
That is in stark contrast to the opening races of this season when Norris and Oscar Piastri were battling towards the back of the field.
However, a major upgrade package which both drivers had on their cars at Silverstone has transformed the team's pace, despite claims from Norris it doesn't suit his driving style.
"The McLaren car is the real deal, that's confirmed now. Of course there's a very extreme track change now to Spa, but we've seen how rapid the McLaren is on the straights, so it should be fine there as well," Rosberg said on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast.
"It's such an impressive technical development that they've done during the season. That's so unusual for a team to make such a massive jump, from like 13th to second, like it's incredible what they've… and they're challenging for the race win now, it's coming, that race win.
"Lando is like a champion in the making, he's world class, he's incredible as a young driver. So, it's unbelievable what they've done. I hope they understand it 100 per cent themselves - sometimes I'm not too sure if they really understand everything because these aerodynamics are just so complex with the ground effect. It's very, very difficult to fully understand in the wind tunnel.
"It's much more easy to see flow on top of a car than underneath because underneath then it also changes so much, with angle and with ride height, you know there's very rapid effects going on there.
"But if they do understand it 100 per cent, it's phenomenal. And they don't even have their new wind tunnel up and running, they're still using their old wind tunnel, which we know has massive limitations, so wow, incredible."
Norris, who is eighth in the drivers' championship going into this weekend's Belgian GP, is one of the most popular drivers on the grid.
Rosberg spoke to Norris straight after the race and was stunned by the support the McLaren driver received in Budapest.
"The cheer from the crowd when Lando was coming up to talk was just massive. He has so much support, it's really amazing to see and I hope it's not... It can be a bit overwhelming sometimes also for young drivers to have so much attention and so much support," said the 2016 F1 world champion.
"F1 has taken on dimensions now that it didn't used to have five or seven years ago. There's people under your hotel, you can't go out anymore, even at your home. It's really going quite extreme. So, I hope Lando manages to cope with all that attention."
Piastri has narrowly missed out on the podium at Silverstone and the Hungaroring after suffering misfortune from the timing of the Safety Car at the British GP, then struggled with his tyres in Hungary.
Rosberg thinks the Australian is doing a great job in his rookie season and is optimistic he can capitalise on the strong pace of his car.
"It's a crucial phase and opportunity for a rookie. Piastri now suddenly has that good car and now he has these couple of races where it's his moment where he needs to put a marker down as a rookie that 'I'm here to stay'," he said.
"He's doing exactly that perfectly. He's shadowing Lando, just right behind him always one tenth, two tenths behind him, always there. If Lando's second, Oscar's third - even in Hungary now he was one place in front after the start. So, he's doing a perfect job.
"We did see some weaknesses then from him in Hungary and we saw the same ones in Silverstone, actually, that he's still struggling a little bit with tyre management and race pace throughout a whole race.
"But let's not underestimate it's so, so difficult to get that right, so experience helps a lot there. Oscar really looks like he's the real deal and he's here to stay, which is awesome."
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Thursday July 27
2pm: Drivers' Press Conference
Friday July 28
8.55am: Formula 3 Practice
10am: Formula 2 Practice
12pm: Belgian GP Practice One (session starts 12.30pm)
1.55pm: Formula 3 Qualifying
2.50pm: Formula 2 Qualifying
3.35pm: Belgian GP Qualifying build-up
4pm: Belgian GP Qualifying
6pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook
Saturday July 29
8.55am: Formula 3 Sprint Race
10.30am: Belgian GP Sprint Shootout build-up
11am: Belgian GP Sprint Shootout
12.40pm: Formula 2 Sprint Race
2.30pm: Belgian GP Sprint build-up
3.30pm: BELGIAN GP SPRINT
5pm: Ted's Sprint Notebook
Sunday July 30
7.25am: Formula 3 Feature Race
8.55am: Formula 2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday - Belgian GP build-up
2pm: THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag - Belgian GP reaction
5pm: Ted's Notebook
Next up is the Belgian GP, the final race before F1's summer break - watch all sessions of the Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1 from July 28-30. Stream the Belgian GP and more with NOW.
