F1 has seen some unusual title battles over the years, but the 2024 season is shaping up to be the strangest one. In a season marked by twists and a surprisingly tight battle for the title, two drivers stand at the forefront: McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Yet here’s the catch—between them, they have managed to win only three races in the last ten. Despite this drought, both Norris and Verstappen are somehow pushing toward championship glory in a way that has fans and experts buzzing with excitement.
A Championship Without Dominance
For a large part of the last decade, fans have seen F1 titles won by dominance, like Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes heyday or Verstappen’s own reign in recent years. But this year, a lack of consistent results has defined the 2024 title race.
Instead, Norris and Verstappen have stayed in the hunt through sheer consistency, harnessing clever strategies, well-timed finishes, and an uncanny ability to capitalize on others’ mistakes. To grasp the unusual nature of this season, it’s worth comparing it to the all-time greats.
Take, for instance, Hamilton’s historic 2014 campaign when he won 11 races en route to the title, or Michael Schumacher’s 2004 season with 13 wins in a single year. In comparison to those, this year is the polar opposite: a title race fuelled not by runaway leads but by an ongoing and nail-bitingly close points race.
How the Parity of 2024 is Making History
The midfielders and newer teams have risen to the occasion this season. Teams like Aston Martin, and Haas have had turns in the top 10, disrupting the dominance held by top-tier teams. Even Mercedes, the colossus of F1 throughout the 2010s, has found itself in an unfamiliar place: contesting rather than controlling the podium positions.
This greater parity means that wins are harder to come by, even for giants like Red Bull, making every weekend an unpredictable toss-up for points. To put it into perspective, the points gap between Norris and Verstappen has remained narrow for a better part of the season, even when they’re fending off their rivals like George Russell or Oscar Piastri.
Consider the 2012 season, which saw seven different winners in the first seven races. While this year hasn’t mirrored that exact spread of victors, the vibe is similar: unpredictability reigns supreme, with each race presenting new challenges, making it difficult for Verstappen to build an insurmountable lead.
The Consistency Strategy at Play
Both Verstappen and Norris have found ways to rack up points without standing on the top step week after week. Instead, their races have been a masterclass in resilience. Red Bull has faced unprecedented challenges from Ferrari and McLaren, who’ve become highly competitive thanks to upgrades.
Both Norris and Verstappen have achieved top-five finishes consistently, strategically stacking up points that keep them neck and neck in the standings. It’s a numbers game—and in this strange season, both drivers are thriving.
Unexpected Contenders Adding Fuel to the Fire
Historically, F1 title fights are between the top teams. But in 2024, the midfield has added spice to the competition. The likes of Oscar Piastri, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell have all shown flashes of brilliance, stealing valuable podiums from both Norris and Verstappen.
Their performance are creating an environment where the points are spread more evenly than ever. This dynamic recalls seasons like 1982, where Keke Rosberg famously won the championship with only a single victory all year. Although the points structure has changed since then, the parallels are clear: this season, it’s anyone’s game.
A Battle of Strategy
While Norris and Verstappen are separated by their teams’ distinct philosophies, both have managed to keep their title hopes alive through shrewd strategy. McLaren’s aggressive pit-stop tactics and risk-taking on tire strategy have helped Norris squeeze out valuable points, often finding him in high positions late in the race when it matters most.
Red Bull, on the other hand, has doubled down on its strategic racing style, with the Dutchman relying on pit-stop timing, tire preservation, and occasional undercuts to climb the standings. Another factor is team dynamics.
Norris’s teammate Piastri has been a strong contender, unlike Sergio Perez. Piastri has even won a couple of races, which has helped the Woking-based team pile up the pressure on Red Bull. The reigning champion’s consistency has been boosted by Red Bull’s focus on maximizing every point rather than aiming exclusively for victories.
