What Peter Windsor saw from Lando Norris at the Qatar Grand Prix that was a ‘crying shame’

Lando Norris has had his best season in Formula 1 to date in 2024, but many may see this campaign as a missed opportunity to win the championship.

The Brit has had the fastest car for much of the season as McLaren continue their meteoric rise in speed and performance while the once unstoppable Red Bull have fallen behind.

Winning three races this season – his first in F1 – Norris ultimately failed in his bid to catch Max Verstappen as the Dutchman put the championship out of reach with his stunning victory in Sao Paulo from P17, sealing the deal at the Las Vegas Grand Prix for his fourth consecutive title.

Many could argue that the gap to Verstappen was too substantial for Norris to make up – the Red Bull driver was 70 points ahead of the Brit after he won seven of the opening 10 races.

But it can also be said that the 24-year-old cost himself the title. Norris made several mistakes throughout the season that ultimately meant he could not take full advantage of the pace of his McLaren.

Eddie Jordan says Norris must study Verstappen’s footage from this season to learn from the Dutchman if he wants to beat his rival next season.

Peter Windsor says it was a ‘crying shame’ to see Lando Norris be so fast in Sprint qualifying in Qatar

With the drivers’ championship now over for Norris, the Brit will be eager to end the season on a strong note. And the 24-year-old set about doing just that at the Qatar Grand Prix in Sprint qualifying.

Norris put his MCL38 on pole position ahead of George Russell and teammate Oscar Piastri for the Sprint race. The Brit topped every part of qualifying and beat Russell to pole by 63 thousandths of a second.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

The Lusail International Circuit’s high-speed nature was thought to suit McLaren before the weekend and Norris proved exactly that with blistering pace on Friday. Lewis Hamilton was stunned by Norris’ pace over his radio as the seven-time champion could only manage seventh.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Peter Windsor said it was a ‘crying shame’ to see Norris and McLaren perform so well in Qatar as they missed the chance to win the drivers’ title.

“Lando, looking very relaxed, looking actually like a guy who’s a bit relieved that it’s all over, that he can’t win the championship.

“I’m sure that’s not the case, certainly my take and it is, when you see Lando driving this well, you see the McLaren this good, it is a crying shame that the championship is over because this is the Lando we’ve been watching most of the summer.

“And as I say, he’s minus about 37 points that he should have been taking into these final races, so for me, it’s a bit a shame to see that. But on the other side of the coin, just taking it for what it is, a beautiful lap by Lando Norris.”

McLaren are fighting for their first Constructors’ Championship in 26 years

While he lost out to Verstappen in the drivers’ championship, Norris can now focus his attention on winning the constructors’ title for McLaren.

The Woking-based outfit have not won the Constructors’ Championship since 1998, and the team are in the best possible position to end that streak in 2024 as they lead Ferrari by 24 points heading into Qatar.

The Maranello squad took a chunk out of McLaren’s lead after Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished third and fourth in Las Vegas. Ferrari themselves have not won the constructors’ title since 2008 and they will be looking to take the fight to their rivals to end their own losing run.

Red Bull are 29 points further behind in third. While they are hopeful of retaining their crown, the Milton Keynes-based outfit are likely out of the running due to the poor form and lack of consistent points finishes from Sergio Perez.