Lando Norris has established himself as one of F1’s top talents with McLaren, but the Brit has missed several opportunities to gain better results over the years.
The 2024 season is a perfect example, as the 25-year-old has had the fastest car for much of the season as Red Bull struggled to find performance in their RB20.
Defending three-time champion Max Verstappen looked to continue his dominance from 2023 as he won seven of the opening 10 races. However, after McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes caught up with upgrades, the Dutchman struggled to compete with his rivals.
Verstappen would not win a race again until the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, but despite this winless streak, his closest rival Norris failed to capitalise on the fact that his McLaren was far superior.
While he has claimed three wins this season, mistakes on track have cost him in his bid to challenge for the title. Norris finished sixth in Sao Paulo after running off the track several times in the rain, while Verstappen won from P17 to put the championship well out of reach.
The McLaren driver has been known over the last couple of years to attack himself over his errors and solely put the blame on him. This, unfortunately, is ‘nothing new’ as journalist Ben Hunt put it, as he mentioned one moment in particular where Norris fought his own ‘mental demons.’
Lando Norris ‘sat in the dark’ for 45 minutes after missing out on his maiden F1 win at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix
For many, Norris’ maiden F1 win at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix was a sigh of relief, as it seemed to be the case of when, not if, the Brit would win a race. But it could have come a lot sooner.
Norris secured his first pole position at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix in Sochi and had been keeping Lewis Hamilton at bay in the closing stages of the race when rain started to hit the track.
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The McLaren driver opted to stay on dry tyres and tried to nurse his car to the end as he believed the conditions were not torrential enough. But with just three laps to go, Norris slid off the track, avoiding the barriers, and ended up finishing seventh.
As Hunt wrote via Autosport, Norris ‘sat in the dark’ on his own for 45 minutes after suffering the heartbreaking defeat; the first of now many incidents of the 25-year-old beating himself up mentally over his mistakes.
“Even from a media perspective – and let’s not delve into the British bias debate – it has been incredibly uncomfortable to watch at times as he wrestles with his mental demons,” he said.
It is, of course, nothing new. When he missed the chance to win the 2021 Russian Grand Prix, sliding off track in the rain having led from pole position, he retreated to his driver’s room in the team’s hospitality and sat in the dark, still with his race suit and helmet on, for a good 45 minutes as he processed his defeat.”
Has Lando Norris got what it takes to beat Max Verstappen?
Heading into the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Verstappen leads Norris by 62 points with three races to go – plus the final Sprint race of the year in Qatar.
While the McLaren driver remains optimistic about his title chances, the championship is likely gone as all his rival has to do is left Las Vegas with a 60-point lead to confirm his fourth consecutive title.
His missed opportunities and mistakes is what has cost him, with the Sao Paulo Grand Prix being the final nail in the coffin. Martin Donnelly says Norris needs to improve in wet conditions or he risks giving Verstappen a clear advantage over him.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown said Norris should be less ‘open’ in his battle with Verstappen, as while he does not see it as a weakness, Norris beating himself up over mistakes could been seen as another advantage to the Dutchman.
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