Last Updated on November 21 2024, 1:24 pm

Lando Norris saw his hopes of becoming the 2024 Formula One champion disappear into the spray at the recent Sao Paulo Grand Prix. McLaren claimed pole in the Sprint then completed a 1-2 in the shortened version of the Grand Prix.

Norris went on to clinch pole position by just 100ths of a second from Mercedes George Russell meanwhile Max Verstappen was having a nightmare having failed to get a quick lap in during Q2. Add to this the world champion was hit with a five place grid drop for taking additional power unit components over and above the allowed number for the year. Max was set to start P17.

With just 47 points between Norris and Verstappen, the stage was set for a big swing to the McLaren driver who stood 47 points behind the championship leader. Yet once again, Norris made a poor start handing the lead of the race to George Russell before they even reached turn one – which by the way is one of the shortest runs on the calendar from the start/finish line.

 

 

 

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Meanwhile, even before the lights went out in Interlagos, Max was to make up two positions due to the withdrawal of Alex Albon following a huge shunt in practice. Then on the formation lap Lance Stroll left the circuit into the run off at turn four, but bizarrely spun his car around to rejoin the field and in doing so dumped it into the gravel trap.

Norris then trailed Russell for lap after lap while Verstappen was carving his way through the field until he arrived behind the leading pack and Charles Leclerc battling the conditions in his Ferrari. This appeared to be the end of the world champion’s charge as for lap after lap he failed to make a successful overtake on the Monegasque driver.

The intensity of the rain increased and one by one the cars ahead of Verstappen pitted for fresh intermediate tyres. Then came the fateful moment for Norris and Russell who were both called in by their teams for fresh rubber. Norris had been pleading for a tyre change but Russell was annoyed at the team’s call insisting it would be better to retain track position for what he believed was an impending red flag.

Verstappen inherited the lead and the Alpine duo who also stayed out now filled the second and third positions in the race. Russell was proven right when less than a lap after his pit stop, the safety car was deployed due to the worsening conditions.

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Coulthard chides Norris ‘problem’

Before the cars had even lined up behind the safety car, rookie star Franco Colapinto put his Williams into the wall on the climb to the start/finish line and race control immediately issued the red flag to stop the race. Of course Max and the Alpine’s then had a free change of tyres during the break and the race was restarted when conditions improved.

Verstappen went on to win the race having started P17, a feat last seen back at the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix by Kimi Raikkonen. Yet despite a number of the other drivers acknowledging the sheer genius of Max’s drive, a disgruntled Norris claimed it was “lucky, not down to talent.”

Of course the red flag gifted Verstappen track position, but he had gambled and continued to race on old tyres, whilst Norris was pleading for fresh ones. This week ex-McLaren racer David Coulthard had a dig at Lando’s comments in Brazil while hailing Verstappen’s performance. “So his drive in Brazil was a lesson to all the other drivers. It was on another level. So if somebody can’t acknowledge that and go, ‘That was brilliant’, then they have a problem. They have a prejudice problem, which is what causes so many problems in the world, doesn’t it?”

On the media day in Las Vegas, Lando was quizzed about the controversy along with questions about other incidents between the pair over the course of this season. “There’s definitely been more controversial moments and things,” Norris admitted. “I’ve definitely voiced my opinion probably more clearly than I have in the past. Sometimes people agree with it, sometimes they won’t. I’m fine with that. I think things still clearly get taken out of context. That was one of the things in Brazil. Stuff got quite easily taken out of context from what I said and created definitely the wrong perception of what I meant and what I said.”

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Norris is unbowed

When asked about the increase in media interest this year Norris was candid: “I don’t feel like I’m under attack. I don’t mind these things, that’s social media. I do my best to just be honest, be myself. You always want people to be on your side, but at the same time I realised you can’t have everyone on your side.”

“That’s probably one of the things I’ve realised this year. I probably have more enemies, but I’ve also got more supporters. I’m obviously happier and more thankful for the supporters that I got,” Norris concluded.

Lando has pocketed seven pole positions this year, but has led the field at the end of lap one just once. The McLaren driver has made countless mistakes during there year which have proven costly and with the team being slow to support his title charge with team orders, the year will be one to forget for the British driver.

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McLaren throw in the towel on Lando’s title charge

Oscar Piastri also revealed that McLaren appear to have thrown in the towel on Norris’ title charge because now “papaya rules” have been re-instated. This means the drivers are free to race and Oscar will not be ordered to hand a place to his team mate as was the case in the Sao Paulo Sprint.

“There’s still some, let’s say, very specific scenarios where I might be needed to help out,” noted the Australian. “But for the very large majority of situations, it’s back to how it was.

“The drivers’ championship picture is very slim, but the Constructors’ Championship is certainly not over for us. So it’s a very specific few scenarios that maybe I’ll still help out if that’s what I’m asked to do, but I’m going into the weekend trying to win.”

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Perez longevity at Red Bull to continue

The conundrum that is Sergio Perez at Red Bull rumbles on for another Formula One weekend. The teams have arrived in Las Vegas, for the only Grand Prix on the calendar to have a permanent Saturday evening start time, to begin the final triple header of the year.

Max Verstappen will be defending his win at the inaugural race along the strip whilst McLaren and Ferrari continue their fight to become the 2024 constructors’ champions. Ferrari fared the best of the pair last time out in Sin City, with Charles Leclerc leading for much of the race but an ill timed safety car gave Verstappen a cheap pit stop and ultimately the lead of the race.

Lando Norris will prefer to forget F1’s return to Las Vegas. He crashed into the wall heavily on lap three and such was the G-Force on impact, the McLaren driver was taken to the University Medical Centre of Southern Nevada where he was detained for observation but released within a few hours… READ MORE