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McLaren driver Lando Norris was impressed with Williams' pre-season performance and is convinced they will pick up their fair share of points when the Formula One season gets underway.
If and when the 2020 season does get underway, McLaren will be defending their ‘best of the rest' crown after finishing P4 in 2019's Constructors' Championship.
While current Williams driver George Russell doubts whether the team has improved much based on pre-season testing, his fellow Brit sees a different story.
"I think Williams are much closer. They're within the battle, basically, so we need to think about them," Norris said via Autosport.
"It's not like we don't have to include them on our strategy, or choose when to pit around them.
"Now we have to include them, and we're going to be racing them. It's not going to be easy to pass them.
"We just have to be a bit more aware there's another team now involved.
"Apart from that, I think it's not too dissimilar to how it was last year."
Norris is also extremely wary of the threat posed by Racing Point, who he feels have a car that can be quick at any and every circuit that could make up a new 2020 season calendar later in the year.
"It's hard to say. From pre-season testing, straight from the off, they looked very competitive," Norris added.
"They just have a car which performs well everywhere. I think they're just going to start all the weekends off very well.
"It's difficult to know how much they were showing what they could do and so on, or how much they started showing maybe too much, so then they held back more towards the end.
"They're either going to be a long way ahead, or they're within the battle, or maybe just in front. I'm not too sure.
"Compared to last year, they've taken a big step forward, but it's obviously clear why."
- TEAMtalk media
