Lando Norris: “Verstappen wouldn’t have won with McLaren”
Lando Norris played down his losing battle with the Red Bull driver: “Nobody in F1 could have recovered from a deficit like the one I had.”
That Max Verstappen is a worthy Formula 1 champion is something that no one can doubt. And perhaps this year with more merit than in previous years. Putting him at the level of his first crown, the one he disputed with Lewis Hamilton over one lap, is perhaps too much, but things have not been easy for the Red Bull driver this season.
Perhaps at the beginning his level was unattainable, but the departure of Adrian Newey to Aston Martin affected the brand and its car began to lose steam as the calendar progressed. And it was then that the most competitive McLaren of recent years approached the Dutchman. Lando Norris' team. The fact that the World Championship has closed with two dates left in the season (including the Qatar sprint) gives more merit to the already four-time champion.
Verstappen’s lead too big for rivals
However, his rival does not see it the same way. Norris pushed him to the very end, but despite having the strongest car on the grid, his mistakes at the Brazilian GP ended up condemning the fight and handing the title to Verstappen at the Las Vegas GP.
2024 F1 Drivers' standing ahead of Brazil GP
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing Honda) 403
- Lando Norris (McLaren Mercedes) 340
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 319
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren Mercedes) 268
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 259
- George Russell (Mercedes) 217
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 208
- Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing Honda) 152
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes) 62
- Nico Hulkenberg (Haas Ferrari) 35
The Red Bull driver had it easy and did not fail, as the papaya team did, who could not get above the Dutchman in the Sin City. Taking away the weight of the energy driver’s championship, Lando assured that, with his car, Max could not win the World Championship. “Definitely, he would not have won with the McLaren,” the Briton assured The Telegraph. However, Verstappen did not agree and assured that he would have won it anyway, probably “even earlier.”
Although it is true that Lando had a very difficult challenge ahead of him. Many points to make up for, so many that it was almost impossible to believe in the title, especially given the advantage that Verstappen gained at the start of the year with five victories in seven races (and two triumphs in two sprints).
“I want to say that no one in the history of F1 would have been able to recover from a deficit like the one I had,” revealed the Briton who, now, is focusing all his efforts on giving his team the Constructors' World Championship, which, in addition, is becoming increasingly complicated in the face of Ferrari’s step forward.