Lando Norris, a British Formula 1 driver for McLaren, known for his rising talent and consistent performances since his debut in 2019, entered the 2024 Formula 1 season as one of the most promising drivers on the grid. Despite a rocky start to his season, by round 18 of 24, he was marked a serious threat for the World Drivers’ Championship (WDC).
However, as the dust settles on the 2024 season, one question remains: Did Lando Norris fumble the championship? In my opinion, he did.
Max Verstappen is a Dutch Formula 1 driver for Red Bull Racing and a dominant multiple-time World Champion. Time and again, Norris lost points due to poor race execution and ultimately failed to capitalize on Max Verstappen’s end-of-season struggles. Some key moments include colliding with Verstappen in Austria, having a poor start in Monza and a disastrous race in Brazil where Norris started first and finished sixth.
Halfway through the season, Norris would have been able to win the WDC championship if he outscored Verstappen by only 7 points each race for the rest of the season. This along with Max and the Red Bull Racing team struggling to find performance, put Lando in a perfect position to put up a solid championship fight.
However, Lando lacked the experience and tenacity to win a world championship, as highlighted by ex-driver and Formula 1 pundit Martin Brundle who told Sky Sports, “he [Norris] lacks the experience of challenging for a world championship and I think that’s a whole new set of challenges and rules—and that’s what he will learn from this year.”
Brundle also highlights the core issue with Norris’ 2024 campaign: His inconsistency. Competing for a championship isn’t just about talent—it’s about handling pressure and being able to perform at every opportunity.
Norris showed flashes of brilliance, like his dominant wins in Singapore and the Netherlands, where he started from pole position and took dominant wins —beating the rest of the field by over 20 seconds. However, he faltered in key moments like Brazil, where he lost positions on both race starts, proving he is not yet ready for the demands of a WDC campaign.
Ultimately, the 2024 Formula 1 season was both a valuable learning opportunity and a source of frustration for Lando Norris. With Verstappen’s rocky late-season form and McLaren providing a competitive car, the path was clear for Norris to mount a serious challenge. However, critical mistakes and a lack of experience underlined his shortcomings.
His inability to deliver when it counted raises serious doubts about his readiness to challenge for a title next year, as McLaren targets another Constructors’ title in 2025. Can Norris grow from this disappointment and establish himself as a world champion in 2025, or will 2024 be remembered as the year he let his best chance slip away?
Contributed Photo/Amelia Dimoldenberg on YouTube. Lando Norris in an interview with Amelia Dimoldenberg for Chicken Shop Date.
