2024 has been a breakout year for Lando Norris, with this being the first time he has had an opportunity to challenge for the Drivers’ Championship. At one stage, he also looked like the favorite with McLaren having the fastest car on the grid and his rival Max Verstappen struggling with Red Bull’s balance. However, multiple mistakes were made, including a major blunder in Hungary, although Zak Brown insists it played no role.
Oscar Piastri won his first-ever F1 race in Hungary— a great moment for the Aussie. But the Grand Prix was marred with controversy, particularly because Norris had the lead for several laps in the closing stage. That wasn’t supposed to happen, as it was a strategy error with pitstop timing that had placed the Briton ahead. A frantic McLaren team subsequently decided to have Norris relinquish the lead to Piastri.
Many have pinpointed this incident as the beginning of McLaren’s downfall in 2024. But Brown doesn’t think so.
The McLaren CEO doesn’t think Norris would have had a better chance of winning the title had he won that afternoon. “If we lose it, then it happened at the beginning... not because we swapped places between Lando and Oscar in Hungary,” Brown claims, per AMuS.
Brown: If we lose it, it happened at the beginning and not in Silverstone or Monza. And also not because we swapped places between Lando and Oscar in Hungary.
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It was Piastri who took advantage of McLaren’s freedom to race Norris in Hungary by overtaking the polesitter in the opening lap. Thereafter, many wondered if the Woking-based team should have resorted to team orders, which could have avoided the whole fiasco. ‘Should have simply asked Piastri to stay put’, was the cry from many in the F1 community.
Norris too, was visibly upset with how things unfolded. His thought process was simple — McLaren should have pitted him first if they wanted Piastri to win the race. Instead, chaos ensued with the team pleading with him on the team radio to let the Melbourne-born driver pass. Something he very reluctantly agreed with.
‘Gold lining’ in a wasted season for Norris
With a 62-point deficit to Verstappen, it seems almost certain that Norris won’t win the 2024 title. This outcome is disappointing, as McLaren had a car capable of challenging the Dutchman. However, too many mistakes cost them dearly—errors that are unforgivable at this level.
Despite this, the contributions of Norris and Piastri in the Constructors’ Championship have brought McLaren to the brink of its first team title since 1998. With a 36-point lead over Ferrari in P2 and three race weekends remaining, the job isn’t finished yet. Still, McLaren appears to be the favorite unless disaster strikes in the final rounds.
This marks a major achievement for a team that has faced significant struggles over the past decade. It’s a well-deserved reward for their relentless effort in building a car capable of challenging Red Bull for the championship.
