Max Verstappen clinched pole for the Japanese Grand Prix, establishing his authority yet again over British rival and self-proclaimed title contender, Lando Norris.
In 2024 the reason was Red Bull Racing’s and Max Verstappen’s strong start to the season – and McLaren’s weak performances in the first five rounds that year – as Norris himself stated repeatedly.
Yet for anyone who was able to see what actually happened, it was the Briton’s inability to consistently extract the absolute best out of his MCL38, and the Dutchman’s relentless maximisation of his results, what tipped the balance toward Verstappen achieving his fourth title on the trot. And this year it’s proving to be no different.
Norris, not yet ready to challenge Verstappen for F1 title
It is clear McLaren have the best package at the moment. Its potential however, Norris has already squandered for two weekends in a row. In China, both in the sprint race as well as in the Grand Prix, the Briton fell short of the MCL39’s dominant potential, and during qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix, he did so again.
That he lost pole to Verstappen must be particularly painful for Norris, not only because the Dutchman seems to be the ever-present thorn at his side, but also because it is a fact that Red Bull Racing’s current car, the RB21, should be nowhere near the top positions on the grid.
Yet Verstappen once again shows that he is able to do with vastly inferior machinery, what Norris cannot in a dominant McLaren. A matter of skill? Undeniable. Mentality? Absolutely.
Despite the Briton’s many claims to the title, Verstappen has demonstrated not only to fans and pundits alike, but also to the teams and drivers themselves, McLaren and Norris included of course, that the current championship leader is not yet ready to live up to the high expectations the Briton has set for himself.
He’s still far from reaching the reigning champion’s level. Will he ever? With seven seasons under his belt, if he could, he would’ve already shown it by now.
