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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
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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.

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