Formula 1 veteran Johnny Herbert has cast doubt on Lando Norris’s championship chances, saying that only an unlikely streak of bad luck for Max Verstappen can open the door for Norris to claim his first F1 title. After Verstappen’s dominant Brazilian GP performance, in which he surged from 17th on the grid to secure a stunning victory, Norris’s title hopes seem to be slipping away.
Starting from pole, Norris appeared poised for a strong showing, but he couldn’t fend off Verstappen’s charge and ultimately finished sixth. Herbert pointed out that, while Norris has been chipping away at Verstappen’s lead, the gap is now so wide that it’s nearly insurmountable. “Lando has had to play catch up, and that is very difficult to do… the points lead now means the title is out of reach unless Max has a dreadful run of bad luck—which won’t happen,” Herbert remarked.
Herbert encouraged Norris to look at the positives from this season, with the young Brit securing numerous pole positions and proving himself as a formidable competitor. Despite a few missed opportunities to convert those poles into wins, Herbert sees this season as a foundation for Norris to build on in 2025. “Lando has to take the positives of what has happened this year,” Herbert advised. “He has driven so well, got poles, and improved massively. He has a great chance of starting next year very strongly.”
Norris himself pointed to missed opportunities, particularly in Hungary, where McLaren let teammate Oscar Piastri take the win, losing seven valuable points. Still, Herbert believes that Norris and McLaren can carry forward these lessons to become a real threat in 2025. “They could have got more points, but that is racing,” Herbert said. “Lando will go into 2025 knowing he can beat Max.”
With just three races left in the season, including the upcoming Las Vegas GP, the 2024 campaign has had its share of highs and lows, and fans can expect more thrilling battles as Norris and McLaren look to close the gap and lay the groundwork for a fierce title push next year.
