Lando Norris became a contender for the Formula 1 world title for the first time in his career in 2024. The British driver challenged Max Verstappen, particularly in the second half of the season. However, the 24-year-old has virtually lost this fight after the Brazilian GP.
McLaren left no stone unturned to assist Norris in the title fight this season. The Woking-based team backtracked on its own way of letting its drivers race. Oscar Piastri was informed that he would need to accept team orders whenever necessary to help out Lando Norris.
Unfortunately. the British driver failed to put real pressure on Max Verstappen. After the Brazilian GP, the reigning world champion leads Lando Norris by 62 points with just three races to go.
This could be a wake-up call for Andrea Stella‘s team over its focus on Norris. RELATEDMax Verstappen’s Brazilian GP triumph virtually ends Lando Norris’ title hopesLando Norris simply not on Max Verstappen’s levelThe 24-year-old enjoyed a pace advantage on Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the second half of the season. Lando Norris took six pole positions this year.
However, he was able to retain the lead on the first lap on just two of those occasions, a shocking statistic for a driver fighting for the title. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris (via Planetf1)Moreover, Verstappen and Norris had a couple of on-track clashes this year. But it was the McLaren driver who seemed to be more impacted mentally after every tussle.
On the other hand, Max Verstappen remained calm and focused on moving forward. Lando Norris’ frustration became clear after the Brazilian GP when he labeled Verstappen as lucky. Even though, he had gotten lucky similarly at the Miami GP.
This shows that the 24-year-old might not be ready to be McLaren’s lead driver in the title charge in the future. While Oscar Piastri has seemed to be far more composed and patient. Stella and McLaren will need to analyze if the team wants to focus on Norris for the future, when Piastri is essentially on par with the Briton.
The Woking-based squad expects to be in the title fight next year and as such cannot afford a repeat of Norris’ lackluster bid of this season. RELATEDLewis Hamilton’s fairytale Mercedes journey has become a disaster
