McLaren must seize double F1 title opening – it could be Lando Norris’ only chance

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Under the afternoon sun on Saturday in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, it felt like the moment the drivers’ title slipped away from Lando Norris.

Due to a combination of bad luck and needless risk, the McLaren driver was eliminated from the first part of qualifying and started Sunday’s grand prix in 15th. The scant consolation was that it was just nine places behind championship leader Max Verstappen, who could only manage sixth.

But a terrific recovery drive, in the face of more drastic floundering in the Red Bull corner, saw Norris finish a spot above Verstappen in fourth. From a position where it seemed certain that Verstappen would stretch his lead beyond 70 points again, it is now down to 59 points. With seven races to go, the chase is still on.

The only issue for McLaren is that it’s been on for a while. Since Norris’ memorable first F1 triumph in Miami in May, the papaya have discernibly had the quickest car on the grid but have only managed to win three more races. Only one of them has come from Norris, with Oscar Piastri stealing the show with a stunning victory on the shores of the Caspian Sea on Sunday, coming out on top in a riveting battle with Charles Leclerc. It was the drive of the year so far.

It also marked a turning point which has been on the horizon for some time. McLaren took the lead in the constructors’ standings, leapfrogging Red Bull, and now lead by 20 points. Given their superior pace on raceday, and as Red Bull’s slump continues at alarming speed, Andrea Stella’s outfit should now extend that lead in the races to come. A victory in this championship would be McLaren’s first since 1998.

“It is a huge milestone,” said McLaren team principal Stella. On the flip side, when asked by Sky Germany if Red Bull have dismissed their chances of catching McLaren, senior adviser Helmut Marko responded: “To be honest, yes.”

The transformation this season has been remarkable. Verstappen won four out of the first five races at a canter and another campaign of one-sided dominance seemed inevitable. But now, the Dutchman seems almost resigned to top-10 mediocrity, winless in seven races, and watching the calendar countdown with an air of despair.

The changing of the guard at the top of the constructors’ standings also speaks to McLaren’s ruthlessness two years ago, when they ruffled feathers in the paddock in poaching Piastri from Alpine to replace Daniel Ricciardo.

How that call has paid dividends now.

In Norris and Piastri, CEO Zak Brown has assembled two drivers fully capable of race wins, pushing each other to the point where the lack of a distinguished No 1 driver has hurt Norris’ individual bid but has helped the team accrue 448 points in the last 15 races.

And when comparing Piastri to Red Bull’s second driver Sergio Perez, who crashed out on the penultimate lap in Baku, it is chalk and cheese. Perez, who actually out-qualified Verstappen for the first time this year on Saturday, will be fortunate to keep his seat heading into 2025.

But now, as hinted by Stella last week with a change in tack, McLaren must put all their eggs in Norris’ basket. Given Red Bull’s stark decline – to fourth-fastest, behind not only McLaren but Ferrari and Mercedes too – the 24-year-old really does have a genuine shot at winning the drivers’ championship this year.

This will hurt Piastri, who has been the sport’s most in-form driver in the last three months. But sitting a further 32 points behind his teammate, the Australian must play the team game where necessary now. McLaren must prioritise Norris as No 1 and, where necessary, make calls which will be unpopular with Piastri. If that means switching drivers at the front, so be it.

There is no more room for error. At this point in time, F1 is a sport of shifting sands with different winners week by week and next year will see other teams chomping at a bite of McLaren’s current supremacy. Ferrari will be boosted by a hungry Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes will see George Russell as the team’s No 1, alongside teenager Kimi Antonelli. Verstappen will be desperate to bounce back.

And what about Aston Martin, who have the sport’s standout mind in Adrian Newey joining them in March?

It is why McLaren and Norris must pounce now. No more room for strategy mishaps or gloomy faces. Starting in Singapore this weekend, Norris must grasp the massive opportunity presented to him. It may not come about again.