Lando Norris’ chances of claiming his maiden Formula 1 world championship are all but over as Max Verstappen can seal his fourth title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The two rivals have produced the closest battle for a championship in the ground effect era that has been dominated by Verstappen and Red Bull. The pair have come to blows on numerous occasions this season, with Norris and Verstappen’s friendship ‘taking a battering’ as a result.
The Red Bull driver holds a 62-point lead ahead into the Las Vegas Grand Prix and can secure his fourth consecutive title by beating Norris in the race. The Brit must outscore his rival by three points to keep the fight going in Qatar.
But many will see this as a long shot for the McLaren driver and there will be differing opinions as to whether this season was a missed opportunity for Norris.
It can be argued that the margin between him and Verstappen was too large to make up from the start – after all the Dutchman was 52 points ahead after the first five races where he claimed four wins.
But McLaren have had a car that is capable of winning races since Norris grabbed his maiden victory at Miami and have arguably the strongest package on the grid heading into the final three races, leaving many to believe the Woking-based squad have failed to take advantage of their performance.
Lando Norris admits being ‘not very good’ after practice for the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Norris looked to have extinguished his title chances at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, as a red flag and several mistakes on track left him sixth while Verstappen drove a sensational race to win from 17th – his first win in 10 races.
Norris must improve in wet conditions as Verstappen has a clear advantage over the Brit in those circumstances, and he may have another over his rival in the mental game.
READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration
Norris has been known to be over-critical of himself on track in the last few years. McLaren boss Zak Brown told Norris he should be ‘less open’ about his weaknesses if he is to get the edge over Verstappen.
But Brown will not be too pleased with what Norris had to say after practice in Las Vegas, as he admitted he was ‘not very good’ despite coming in the top three in both FP1 and FP2.
Asked about how he found the day via The F1 Show, Norris said: “So-so. I think the low fuel stuff’s been ok. The high fuel, I was shocking.
“Yeah, plenty of things to look into. These kind of combinations of things and what we struggle with, with the front graining and stuff, I’m just not very good at it.
“It was a little bit of a struggle for me, but yeah, a good amount of time to work on it. So yeah, two halves really, good low fuel and difficult high fuel.”
Can Lando Norris challenge for the title in 2025?
Next season will be a huge year for McLaren and Norris, as it marks the final year under the current technical regulations before they are set for a overhaul in 2026.
With not much expected to change in 2025, the Woking-based outfit, and even Ferrari, will be looking to take advantage of their new found performance and take the fight to Red Bull as they have clearly taken a step back.
READ MORE: All you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine
But Verstappen will still pose a threat regardless of whether his car is inferior to his rivals. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and new signing Lewis Hamilton will certainly be challenging at the front, as well as Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri, who will be looking to push on after securing his first F1 wins in 2024.
Norris has the ability to challenge at the front and compete for the title, but the main question is whether McLaren can take advantage of their dramatic upturn in performance and if Norris can fight off his personal demons to go that extra mile for the title.
