Lando Norris has admitted he was underprepared for a Championship battle with Max Verstappen this year.
With just three rounds of the 2024 Formula One World Championship remaining, Norris is running out of time to close the gap to Verstappen in the Drivers’ Standings.
The McLaren driver will have to outscore his rival by at least three points at the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix to keep his hopes alive. If Verstappen finishes ahead of Norris this weekend, or both fail to score points, the Dutchman will secure his fourth consecutive Drivers’ crown.
It is safe to say that Norris’ odds of claiming his first Drivers’ Title are now extremely low. The gap between the pair grew by 15 points over the course of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend, which saw Norris make a handful of errors on the circuit and ultimately finish in sixth. Meanwhile, Verstappen produced a stand-out drive from 17th on the starting grid to win his first Grand Prix in over four months.
The focus has now shifted towards the Constructors’ Championship, which McLaren lead by 36 points from Ferrari, who are in turn 13 points ahead of Red Bull. Norris’ main goal will likely be to secure a Title for his team alongside teammate Oscar Piastri.
Not at the level I needed to be
Speaking to reporters in Las Vegas, Norris began by praising Verstappen’s driving ability. He said: “I probably wasn’t outright ready to go up against Red Bull and Max. I think I am now now. But it’s probably too late.
“Max is one of the best drivers ever in F1. And to go up against that person who is so good takes a bit more than what I have done this season. But since the summer break it is close to what it should be,” stated the British-Belgian driver.
While admitting that he wasn’t quite capable of winning the Championship this year, Norris believes that he has taken confidence from knowing that he was the driver to beat on occasion during the current campaign. He added: “It is the first time we’ve had a chance to fight at the front.
“We’ve not been able to do that for the past six years, this has been our and my first opportunity. I was definitely not at the level I need to be at the beginning of the year. Since the summer break, I feel I’ve done a very good job and performed very well, by far some of my best performances.
“I am not completely happy with what I’ve done but for the first time I feel I have got what it takes to fight for the championship.”
“It doesn’t mean I’m complete and when you are competing against drivers like Max you have to be close to perfect. The main thing I can take away is I have faith I have what it takes to fight for a championship,” concluded the McLaren driver.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix will commence Sunday 24 November at 06:00 GMT (22:00 local time Saturday 23 November).
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