I pulled the sector time data across all six completed rounds and the trend is clear. In qualifying, the gap between Norris and Verstappen in S1 has gone from 0.18s in Bahrain to 0.04s by Japan. S2 Norris is actually faster on three circuits now. The gap remaining is entirely in S3 where Verstappen's car balance in low-speed traction zones is still superior. In race trim the picture is more nuanced โ RB26 still manages tire temperature better in the first stint โ but by the end of a race Norris is often within DRS range of where Verstappen is. The championship is open. Anyone saying otherwise is not looking at the numbers.
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I pulled the sector time data across all six completed rounds and the trend is clear. In qualifying, the gap between Norris and Verstappen in S1 has gone from 0.18s in Bahrain to 0.04s by Japan. S2 Norris is actually faster on three circuits now. The gap remaining is entirely in S3 where Verstappen's car balance in low-speed traction zones is still superior. In race trim the picture is more nuanced โ RB26 still manages tire temperature better in the first stint โ but by the end of a race Norris is often within DRS range of where Verstappen is. The championship is open. Anyone saying otherwise is not looking at the numbers.
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Norris closing the gap is real but I want to see it in a race where Red Bull has full resource availability. Some of the gap-closing has coincided with RB mechanical issues.
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