The Briton finished 0.7 seconds behind Verstappen, two weeks after winning his first Formula One race in the Miami Grand Prix.
Norris believes his performance at Imola shows that he and McLaren have established themselves as consistent front-runners.
The Briton, 24, said: “Hopefully, it continues like that because it’s exciting, it’s tough, and it gets you excited every weekend, so I’m looking forward to the next few.”
Norris stated that there was “no reason to deny” that he and McLaren could take the battle.
