So, it's done. Max Verstappen is a four-time World Champion, and Lando Norris is the guy who "almost" did it. If you spend any time on F1 Twitter or hanging around the paddock, you’ve heard the noise. People are calling Lando a "bottler." They’re saying he didn't have the "killer instinct" needed to actually topple the Red Bull machine.
But honestly? That's a bit of a lazy take.
The Lando Norris F1 title verdict isn't just about one guy failing to make a move or a team messing up a pit stop. It’s way more complicated than a single headline. To really get why 2024 ended the way it did—with Max celebrating in the neon glow of Las Vegas—you have to look at the math, the mess, and the sheer mental toll of trying to hunt down a generational talent.
The Brazil Heartbreak and the "Skill Issue" Myth
Most fans point to Brazil as the moment the dream died. It's hard to argue with that. Rain was bucketing down at Interlagos, and the vibes were chaotic. Norris started on pole; Verstappen started 17th. On paper, that’s a 25-point swing gift-wrapped for McLaren.
Instead, Max drove like a man possessed. He sliced through the field while Lando struggled with his braking points, sliding off the track multiple times. By the time the chequered flag waved, Max had won the race from the back of the grid, and Lando crossed the line in 6th.
It was brutal.
People love to say this proved Lando "isn't on Max’s level." But that’s kinda ignoring the reality of the cars. The McLaren MCL38 was arguably the fastest car for the second half of the season, but it was notoriously finicky in the wet. It didn't have that "pointy" front end that Max thrives on in low-grip conditions. Was Lando perfect? No. He made mistakes. But pinning the entire season on one rainy afternoon in Sao Paulo is just bad analysis.
Did McLaren Cost Him the Title?
You've gotta talk about the "Papaya Rules." For months, McLaren refused to prioritize Norris over his teammate, Oscar Piastri. They let them race. They swapped positions. They debated on the radio like a family arguing over where to eat dinner.
Look at Hungary. Lando was forced to give a win back to Oscar because of a strategy "error" that put Lando ahead in the first place. That’s seven points. Then look at Monza, where Oscar made a bold move on the first lap that arguably cost McLaren a 1-2 finish and let Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc sneak a win.
If McLaren had gone "full Schumacher" and made Lando the clear number one from June onwards, the points gap heading into the final flyaway races would have been tiny. Instead, they played fair. Integrity is great for the brand, sure, but it's rarely how you win a World Championship against a guy like Verstappen.
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By the time they reached Qatar and Abu Dhabi, the pressure was a physical weight. The team’s late-season blunders—like not pitting under the Safety Car in Qatar—basically handed the momentum back to Red Bull. Team Principal Andrea Stella admitted as much. He said the drivers were doing "exceptionally good" work, but the team hadn't always put them in a position to capitalize. That’s a polite way of saying they fumbled the bag.
The Verdict: Where It Was Actually Lost
Lando himself said something pretty telling after the Vegas GP. He reckoned the title was lost in the first six races of the year.
Think back to the start of 2024. Red Bull was still dominant. Max was winning races by 20 seconds. In those first few months, Max built a massive lead while McLaren was still trying to figure out their upgrades. By the time Lando got his maiden win in Miami, he was already over 50 points behind.
Chasing Max Verstappen is like trying to catch a train that’s already three stations ahead of you. You have to be perfect. You have to hope the train breaks down.
Max didn't break down.
Even when the Red Bull RB20 became a "handful" to drive (Max’s words, not mine), he was still finishing on the podium. He went ten races without a win between Spain and Brazil, yet he barely lost any ground because Lando and Oscar were taking points off each other, and Ferrari and Mercedes were stealing wins too.
What Happens Now?
Lando is only 26. He’s got time. He’s officially joined the elite club of drivers who have actually pressured Max Verstappen into making mistakes (remember their collision in Austria?). That counts for something.
The Lando Norris F1 title verdict for 2024 is that he proved he belongs at the front, but he—and McLaren—weren't quite "championship-ready." There’s a difference between having a fast car and being a championship-winning operation. Red Bull has been doing this for twenty years. McLaren is just getting back into the swing of it.
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If you’re looking for what to watch for in 2025, keep an eye on these specific things:
- First-lap aggression: Lando needs to fix his habit of losing positions at the start.
- Team hierarchy: Will McLaren finally name a "Number One" driver from race one?
- Mental resilience: Can Lando brush off the "bottler" narrative and come out swinging?
He’s already said over the radio in Abu Dhabi: "Next year's going to be my year." He’s got the car. He’s got the speed. Now he just needs to prove that the 2024 "verdict" was just a lesson, not a final judgment.
To get ready for the 2025 season, you should start tracking the pre-season testing times in Bahrain to see if McLaren has maintained their aerodynamic edge over the winter. Pay close attention to any changes in McLaren's "Papaya Rules" communication during the early races, as that will be the clearest indicator of whether they've learned from the strategic hesitations of 2024.