Nine Grands Prix, 70 points difference and one question: Lando Norris can he come back Max Verstappen by the end of the season? Beyond his victory at Zandvoort, his second in 2024, the Briton especially impressed with the way he achieved his success on the land of his main rival. With a significant lead of 22 seconds when passing under the checkerboard (despite a failed start), the driver McLaren has outclassed the rest of the grid… and he is starting to worry the competition.
However, according to the main person concerned, it is still too early to think about the title, highlighting the significant gap which separates him from the championship leader. “I've worked hard all year and I'm still 70 points behind Max. So it would be pretty stupid to think about anything right now, he replies when we talk about the title race. I take one race at a time and keep doing what I'm doing now because there's no reason to think about the future and think about the rest. »
The McLaren, best car in the field
From a mathematical point of view, Lando Norris would need to gain an average of 7,78 points per Grand Prix over Max Verstappen, without forgetting the three remaining Sprint races. A difficult pace to maintain, especially with the fierce competition from other Top Teams like Mercedes et Ferrari, but not impossible to follow. Equipped with new developments in the Netherlands, the MCL38 is now the fastest and most complete car on the grid: in fact, even Lando Norris assumes this new role of favorite.
“Today, throughout the weekend, I think we had the best car. We worked hard during the summer holidays to try to take a step back and move forward. So yes, we had a good car… but there is still a long way to go, he puts things into perspective. So we have to keep working hard, because it was only about Zandvoort. Monza is a completely different circuit. So we're going to keep our heads down and keep working. »
If the race for the Drivers' championship still seems a fairly distant quest, that of the Manufacturers' championship is a much more realistic target: after the Dutch Grand Prix, McLaren is only 30 points behind Red Bull. At this rate, it is only a matter of time before we see the British overtake the Austrians.
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Yves-Henri RANDIER
27/08/2024 at 02:02 a.m.
With 9 Grand Prix still on the program, not to mention the few Sprint circuses on Saturday, it would be surprising if he didn't think about it a little in the back of his mind!