Every Formula 1 driver on the grid heads into the new season with the goal of fighting for the world championship.
While Max Verstappen prevailed again last year, his closest rival for the title had never previously been involved in a championship fight.
In his sixth full season in the sport, all with McLaren, Lando Norris had his most successful year to date. He won his first grand prix in Miami, then added three further victories, more than any other driver last year besides Verstappen.
Although Verstappen withstood the McLaren driver’s late bid for the title, Norris said the season helped him to develop into a driver capable of fighting for the championship one day.
“For the first time, I’m confident to say that I have what I think I need to fight for a championship,” Norris said ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend. “I think the main thing I can take away is I have faith that I have got what it takes to fight for a championship.”
But do you agree that he has proven himself to be of championship calibre?
For
Norris has clearly shown he is capable of fighting for a world championship title. After all, in one of the most competitive seasons in recent times, he beat everyone except Verstappen and went head-to-head with the world champion.
He scored commanding wins in Zandvoort, Singapore and Yas Marina. Although he had tough fights with Verstappen on occasions he also showed he could race him, passing Verstappen to win in the Netherlands.
Winning a championship also requires having a quick enough car and developing it through the season. It’s no coincidence that McLaren have made major strides forward in both of the last two seasons with his experience leading the team.
Against
Norris is a multiple grand prix winner now and no one can deny that – but that does not necessarily mean he is a potential champion.
He threw away too many points this year, often due to sub-standard starts from pole position. In contrast, Verstappen regularly maximised the opportunities available to him. Norris still needs to prove he can do the same.
With the competition outside the team likely to get fiercer, plus the growing threat from his improving young team mate, Norris’s first chance to win a championship may have been the best one he gets.
| Become a RaceFans supporter and
I say
Yes, Lando Norris can fight for a world championship. After all, he did in 2024 – putting Verstappen under the most pressure he has faced for his crown since he first won it from Lewis Hamilton in 2021.
Realistically, the odds were never in his favour last year. Although McLaren did well to build themselves up into being the fastest team on the grid, they were only able to be any kind of threat to Verstappen due to the unusually steep slide in performance Red Bull endured as the season progressed.
Norris was far from flawless but championship titles have been won by great drivers who have made far more frequent and costly errors – just look at Mika Hakkinen in 1999 or arguably Lewis Hamilton in his first title-winning season in 2008.
Such is the quality of the modern F1 field, particularly at the front, is it any surprise the last eight seasons have seen just two drivers win the championship: Hamilton and Verstappen? But Formula 1 is not Moto GP – the drivers can only do so much. If Verstappen is stuck with a car that is relatively worse in performance than the RB20 was over the second half of 2024, even his exceptional talent may not prove enough to overcome that.
If McLaren can start a season as strongly as they ended 2024, as victory contenders from the start, then it’s absolutely believable that Norris has the potential to make a run at the world championship. Especially with the hard lessons he learned last season.
You say
Do you believe Lando Norris can be a world champion after his performance in 2024? Have your say in today’s poll.
Do you believe Lando Norris is capable of winning the world championship?
- No opinion (0%)
- Strongly disagree (0%)
- Slightly disagree (0%)
- Neither agree nor disagree (0%)
- Slightly agree (0%)
- Strongly agree (100%)
Total Voters: 1
Loading …A RaceFans account is required in order to vote. If you do not have one, register an account here or read more about registering here. When this poll is closed the result will be displayed instead of the voting form.
| Become a RaceFans supporter and
Debates and polls
Browse all debates and polls
