AutoGear
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Formula 1
      • STANDINGS
    • Formula E
    • Circuits
    • WRC
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
No Result
View All Result
AutoGear
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Formula 1
      • STANDINGS
    • Formula E
    • Circuits
    • WRC
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
No Result
View All Result
AutoGear

Lando Norris Reflects on Title Fight as Verstappen Clinches Fourth F1 Championship – “It was lost in the first six races”

Harry Bright by Harry Bright
December 4, 2024
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Lando Norris Reflects on Title Fight as Verstappen Clinches Fourth F1 Championship –  “It was lost in the first six races”

Formula One F1 - Las Vegas Grand Prix - Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States - November 23, 2024 Red Bull's Max Verstappen, McLaren's Lando Norris and Alpine's Pierre Gasly in action during the race REUTERS/Mike Blake

As Max Verstappen celebrated his fourth consecutive Formula 1 drivers’ championship on Saturday night, McLaren’s Lando Norris reflected on a season of highs, heartbreaks, and hard lessons. While Verstappen finished fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Norris’s sixth-place result, even with the fastest lap, sealed the gap between them at an unassailable 63 points with two races remaining.

“It hurts a little bit, of course,” Norris admitted to Sky Sports. “Max drove an incredible season. When he had the quickest car, he dominated. When he didn’t, he was still there—always on my heels. He made my life tough, but he drove a better season. Big congrats to him.”


A Tale of Two Seasons

The 2024 campaign saw McLaren emerge as Red Bull’s fiercest rival after a slow start. Off the podium in the opening two races, Norris’s season gained momentum with a third-place finish in Australia, second in China, and a breakthrough win in Miami.

Verstappen, meanwhile, began the year in dominant fashion, winning seven of the first 10 races. But as the field caught up, Red Bull struggled, failing to secure another win for the next 10 rounds. Despite this, Verstappen’s early-season success and relentless consistency ensured he stayed ahead of Norris.

“We put up a good fight and I look forward to next year being in there from the beginning,” said Norris. “We weren’t ready this year. We paid the price for that, but it was us fighting Max—no one else.”


No Regrets for Norris

Norris, who had not anticipated being in a title fight so early in McLaren’s resurgence, expressed pride in his performance and the team’s efforts.

“You have to drive better when you get to that point, and I feel like I have. Really, since Zandvoort, I’ve done close to a perfect job,” he said. “As much as we liked to believe we were ready, we weren’t. But we’ve learned a lot, and I don’t regret anything.”


Andrea Stella: “We’re Proud to Have Challenged Verstappen”

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella echoed Norris’s sentiments, praising Verstappen and expressing pride in McLaren’s resurgence.

“We are proud that we were challenging him this season,” Stella said. “We just lost too many points at the start of the season, but then we were there with Verstappen’s pace. The constructors’ championship is still open, and our focus will now shift there.”

Despite a reduced lead over Ferrari—now down to 24 points—McLaren remains at the top of the constructors’ standings, a significant achievement for a team still in recovery mode.


Looking Ahead to 2025

While Verstappen savors his fourth title, Norris and McLaren are already looking to the future. The Briton, ever the optimist, believes the lessons learned this year will make the team stronger contenders next season.

“Max has set the bar, and now it’s up to us to rise to it,” Norris said. “We’ve shown we can fight, but next year we want to win.”

For now, the Las Vegas lights shine brightest on Verstappen, but Norris’s journey and McLaren’s resurgence promise a thrilling battle in the seasons to come.

Share218Tweet137Send

Related Posts

Oscar Piastri stuns with pole in Imola as Ferrari dreams crash with Leclerc and Hamilton Q2 exits
Motorsports

Oscar Piastri stuns with pole in Imola as Ferrari dreams crash with Leclerc and Hamilton Q2 exits

Oscar Piastri delivered a stunning performance to take pole position for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, holding off none other than...

by Carl Harrison
May 17, 2025
Terrifying Imola GP Crash Chaos: Franco Colapinto and Yuki Tsunoda’s Dramatic Qualifying Incidents
Motorsports

Terrifying Imola GP Crash Chaos: Franco Colapinto and Yuki Tsunoda’s Dramatic Qualifying Incidents

Formula 1's Imola Grand Prix Qualifying Red-Flagged Again After Massive Crash by Franco Colapinto In another heart-stopping moment at the...

by Carl Harrison
May 17, 2025
Sergio Pérez at the Crossroads: Can Red Bull Afford Another Season of Struggles?
Motorsports

Sergio Perez Fans Demand Return After Yuki Tsunoda’s Terrifying Emilia Romagna GP Crash

Red Bull's Nightmare Continues: Yuki Tsunoda's Emilia Romagna GP Qualifying Crash Sparks Outrage Among Fans In a heart-stopping moment during...

by Harry Stone
May 17, 2025
VIDEO – Alpine’s Franco Colapinto survives heart-stopping crash, triggering red flags at F1 Imola GP
Motorsports

VIDEO – Alpine’s Franco Colapinto survives heart-stopping crash, triggering red flags at F1 Imola GP

A horrifying crash at the Imola Grand Prix has once again halted the Formula 1 qualifying session, as Franco Colapinto...

by Arthur Ling
May 17, 2025

Recent News

Oscar Piastri stuns with pole in Imola as Ferrari dreams crash with Leclerc and Hamilton Q2 exits

Oscar Piastri stuns with pole in Imola as Ferrari dreams crash with Leclerc and Hamilton Q2 exits

May 17, 2025
Terrifying Imola GP Crash Chaos: Franco Colapinto and Yuki Tsunoda’s Dramatic Qualifying Incidents

Terrifying Imola GP Crash Chaos: Franco Colapinto and Yuki Tsunoda’s Dramatic Qualifying Incidents

May 17, 2025
Sergio Pérez at the Crossroads: Can Red Bull Afford Another Season of Struggles?

Sergio Perez Fans Demand Return After Yuki Tsunoda’s Terrifying Emilia Romagna GP Crash

May 17, 2025
VIDEO – Alpine’s Franco Colapinto survives heart-stopping crash, triggering red flags at F1 Imola GP

VIDEO – Alpine’s Franco Colapinto survives heart-stopping crash, triggering red flags at F1 Imola GP

May 17, 2025

Newsletter

  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TECHNICAL INFORMATION
  • EDITORIAL STATUS
  • TERMS AND CONDITIONS

© 2023 AutoGear - Todos os direitos reservados AutoGear.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Formula 1
      • STANDINGS
    • Formula E
    • Circuits
    • WRC
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語

© 2023 AutoGear - Todos os direitos reservados AutoGear.

Enable Notifications OK No thanks
x