Lando Norris and McLaren came agonizingly close to a championship in 2024 before falling short. Here is what happened.
The timeline:
- First half of 2024: Verstappen dominant again. McLaren competitive but not consistently winning.
- Miami GP: Norris wins his first career race. The floodgates open.
- Mid-season: McLaren upgrades work. MCL38 becomes the fastest car on the grid.
- Norris wins multiple races in the second half. Gap to Verstappen closes.
- Season end: Verstappen holds on for a 4th consecutive title despite McLaren having the better car for the final 10 races.
What went wrong for Norris:
- Slow start. Gave Verstappen too many points in the first third of the season when Red Bull was fastest.
- Poor starts. Multiple races where Norris qualified on pole but lost position at the start. This cost him approximately 30-40 points across the season.
- Team orders confusion. McLaren's reluctance to impose team orders on Piastri cost Norris points in at least two races.
- Verstappen's consistency. Even when Red Bull had the slower car, Verstappen rarely finished below 4th. Source: Formula1.com results.
What it means going forward: Norris proved he has championship speed. The question is whether he has championship composure. The 2025 and 2026 seasons will define his legacy.
Sources:
- Formula1.com — 2024 results and standings
- McLaren — technical development timeline
- Autosport — post-season analysis
Who else has noticed this?
McLaren refusing to use team orders when Norris needed every point was organizational malpractice. Piastri did not need those wins, Norris needed every single point.