What Lando Norris Has to Do In the Last Six Races to Stop Max Verstappen’s Championship Streak
Lando Norris heads into the United States Grand Prix trailing Verstappen by 52 points, with just six Grand Prix races and three sprint events left in the season. The USGP marks the first of the remaining sprint weekends, offering a total of 34 points for a perfect performance.
If Norris were to win both the sprint race and the Grand Prix, securing the fastest lap in each, while Verstappen finishes second in both events, he would gain just nine points over the three-time champion. While this would be a notable gain, it wouldn’t be enough to close the gap entirely. Due to Daniel Ricciardo’s last-minute fastest lap in Singapore, Verstappen remains in a position where finishing second to Norris in every remaining sprint and Grand Prix would still allow him to secure the title.
Precisely, Britt would need to gain an average of 8.84 points per race weekend, which would put him ahead by just one point at the end of the season. An average gain of 8.67 points would result in a tie, meaning the championship would then be decided based on a countback of their results throughout the season, starting with the number of race wins.
The impact of a DNF on the championship race
A DNF for either Lando Norris or Max Verstappen could greatly impact the championship landscape. Currently sitting 52 points behind Verstappen, a DNF for Norris would significantly diminish his ability to close the gap in the standings. For example, if Norris were to fail to finish a race, all the good work done in recent races would go out of the window, making it increasingly difficult to catch up, especially with only a handful of races remaining in the season.
On the other hand, Verstappen, despite having a commanding lead, could also feel the consequences of a DNF. His current points cushion allows him some leeway, but a poor result could open the door for Norris to make substantial gains in the championship fight. Thus, the stakes are incredibly high for both drivers, and each race carries weight as they navigate the pressures of the season.
While a singular (DNF) can’t be completely dismissed given the unpredictable nature of Formula 1, the likelihood of consecutive mechanical failures affecting the championship race in the closing weeks appears minimal. Verstappen has shown remarkable reliability, having only failed to finish once in his last 59 races due to a brake failure at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.
In contrast, Norris’s last mechanical-related DNF occurred in November 2022 during the São Paulo Grand Prix. Since then, his only retirement came in the current season’s Austrian Grand Prix, caused by damage after a collision with Verstappen while battling for the lead.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
