McLaren’s Lando Norris acknowledged on Thursday that Red Bull’s defending champion Max Verstappen has become ‘genuinely a challenger’ as the 2025 Formula One championship enters its final straight.

Verstappen is coming hot off victories in Monza and Baku and would aim for a third consecutive grand prix triumph in Singapore on Sunday. The gap between the second-placed Norris and Verstappen has been reduced to 44 points with only seven races to go. Championship leader and Norris’ partner, Oscar Piastri’s crash in Baku allowed Verstappen to narrow the gap to the Australian to 69 points.

When asked if Verstappen posed a threat, Norris told reporters: “(He’s) genuinely a challenger. I think if you go back to the beginning of the season, you know they were challenging the first six, seven race

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