After McLaren scored thei🌄r first double-podium finish since 2021 in Japan on Sunday, t♐hey now sit just 49 points behind Aston Martin in the race for fourth.

McLaren continu🅷e to go from strength-to-strength, while Aston Martin are firmly back in the midfield pack.

Assessing the fight between the two teams, Norris feels McLaren have a clear advantage as they haveꦐ “two drivers who are up there fighting” and “not every team has that at the minute”, clearly suggesting that their main rivals - Aston Martin - are being disadvantaged by having just one driver in the fight.

“Yes. I didn't think it was that close,” he said. “But yeah, if it's🎃 49, then I definitely think so. There's not many races left. I'm sure there's ♌going to be a couple where Aston are going to be a bit stronger. 

“But I think our advantage at the minute comparing to almost🧔 every team, bar a couple, is we have two drivers who are up there fighting for these positions and fighting for these poinᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚts. 

“And not every team has that at the minute. So I think that's helping us. We can help one another, we can use o༺ne another, and I think that's a good advantage we have over a lot of other t💛eams at the minute.”

McLaren have made incredible progress since the start of the year, particularly as Norris was knocked out in Q1 i💖n the second race in Jeddah.

“So we're on an upward trend,” he added. “We're making good progress and days like today pro𝓡ve exactly that. 💎;

“Even though I know there's going to be maybe some tougher races coming up at times and maybe not as straightfor💙ward as today but the progress we’ve made this season has been pretty incredible from my eyes and fr📖om where we were, to finishing 18 seconds behind the lead or 19 seconds is I think evidence of exactly that. So I'm proud of everyone and we'll keep pushing.”