The 2024 F1 season is barrelling down to its climax carrying a thrilling rivalry between two of the sport’s brightest stars — Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. The Dutchman has continued his reign of dominance but McLaren’s sensational rise has thrown a wrench into his championship storyline.
Despite that Verstappen holds a lead in the standings and therefore, Norris faces a seemingly impossible task: to claw his way back only to finish the championship on equal points with the Red Bull star.
Norris has a steep challenge ahead
For Norris, catching Verstappen in the 2024 title fight is not just a tall order — it’s borderline impossible. As of the latest standings, Verstappen holds a 57-point advantage over the Briton. With only a handful of races remaining in the 2024 season, Norris needs not just stellar performances, but a stroke of fortune to even dream of leveling the score.
Despite several issues with his car, Verstappen has seven wins this season out of the 19 races so far. The Dutchman’s last win came at the Spanish GP and since then, Red Bull’s downfall and McLaren’s resurgence began. Nevertheless, Verstappen is fast, calculated, and to the frustration of his rivals, almost flawless.
The four-ce is with Max in #F1Sprint so far this season
#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/0kC71ftyDt
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2024
Meanwhile, Norris secured his first Grand Prix victory in Miami, second in the Netherlands, and third in the Singapore GP. In all of these performances, he has shown immense talent but finds himself lagging behind with some errors.
To bridge the gap of 57 points, Norris needs to achieve nothing short of perfection in the remaining races — every lap, every pit stop, every strategic call must be flawless. With Red Bull’s reliability and tactical mastery, the Dutchman isn’t prone to mistakes. So, the ball is in Norris’ court to match Verstappen’s high benchmark.
Can Norris pull off the impossible?
With Verstappen holding a daunting lead, Norris isn’t just facing an uphill climb — he’s staring up at Mount Everest without any climbing gear. To make the match work, Norris needs to win practically every remaining race, including the sprint races, take all the fastest laps, and hope Verstappen has an off day, something that has been as rare as rain in the desert.
But, F1 is unpredictable. Remember Lewis Hamilton’s shock loss to Nico Rosberg in 2016? Or Verstappen’s first title win in 2021? This sport has a way of making the impossible possible.
The remaining races of the calendar offer slim hope for Norris. Circuits like Brazil, Las Vegas, and Abu Dhabi could provide Norris opportunities, given McLaren’s improvement in straight-line speed and tire management. But these are also tracks where Verstappen has historically excelled.
Max’s title lead post-summer break
70 points
62
59
52
54 (after #F1Sprint)#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/E5PqI7eDu2— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2024
The MCL38 has improved significantly, with the team’s upgrades closing the gap to Red Bull’s rocketship. It has been the most consistent car across a variety of tracks. And while Verstappen’s consistency is his greatest weapon, the RB20 being a handful to drive has left him exposed to this championship challenge.
Now, let’s say Norris achieves the impossible and equals Verstappen on points, who will be the champion? In that case, the driver with more number of wins will win the championship. At this stage, the #4 driver will have to win all the remaining five races to beat the Dutchman on countback if it comes to that. If not, Verstappen will retain the title.
