Written by: Sofia Costantino, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
We are finally back after nearly a month off, a yawning break by Formula One’s standards, and are heading towards our dear and iconic United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. After Lando Norris' resounding win at the Singapore GP, the 2024 Formula One season enters its final six rounds, including three Sprint races!
The big question is whether the Briton will be able to catch Max Verstappen and stop him from getting a fourth consecutive title, which at the start of the campaign seemed almost assured for the Dutchman.
However, things have gotten complicated for Verstappen, not only due to the machine at his disposal but also because of McLaren’s impressive rebound.
The team in orange having started the season without clear expectations, now leads the constructors' standings, something that has not happened since 1990, in addition to having a real chance of winning the drivers' title as well.
After his first victory in Miami, the sixth round of the season, McLaren demonstrated the innovations in the MCL38 and drastically improved their performance.
Yet, Verstappen continued to widen his lead, thanks to wins in Emilia-Romagna, Canada and Spain, growing his lead to 84 points until the British GP. Since Hungary, however, the gap has been gradually narrowing.
With four wins in the last six races, Norris has managed to win two of them (Netherlands and Singapore) emphatically. As a result, the points lead shrunk to 70 after Zandvoort, 62 after Monza, 59 at Baku, and now down to 52 after his dominant Singapore win, finishing 20 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
With six weekends to go, 52 points may seem like a lot, but they could quickly disappear, especially if Verstappen suffers a mechanical failure or is involved in an incident.
There are fewer and fewer opportunities and the emotional and psychological factor grows as the season progresses, raising the possibility of mistakes not only in the drivers but also across the whole team.
Verstappen’s former teammate Daniel Ricciardo snatched the fastest race lap from Norris in Singapore. This means, mathematically, even if Norris wins all the remaining races, Verstappen would retain the title if he finishes second in each of them! What a way to leave Formula One by possibly helping Max win the championship.
While such a feat is possible, it is unlikely given the unpredictable nature of motor racing, where other participants can influence the outcome. Even teammates, as Piastri has shown, can become unexpected rivals.
The world of Formula One is also in constant flux. With only 20 seats available and a multitude of talents waiting for their chance, some exceptional drivers are displaced to other categories.
While it is essential to keep drivers who have proven their worth, times also call for changes to be made. Many drivers, even if they have reached the top, simply compete to stay in their position, using their experience to avoid breaking single-seaters.
Traditionally, drivers have worked their way up through the lower categories, demonstrating their quality in championships such as Formula 2 or Formula 3. However, a title is not always necessary to validate a driver's talent.
In the past, an adaptation period was expected to evaluate rookies. Today, thanks to advanced simulators, many drivers are quick, right from their first day in a Formula One car. They spend long hours on simulators allowing to emulate real-life tyre degradation and race conditions.
Granted, simulators do not replicate all the complexities of a real race, but these young drivers, who have been racing in karting since childhood, are more than up to the challenge.
A clear example is Oliver Bearman, who unexpectedly debuted with Ferrari in Jeddah, excelling with an excellent performance. Liam Lawson also made a notable impact when he replaced Ricciardo at Zandvoort.
Talent is often recognised when young, and some are closely followed to move up to F1 as soon as they turn 18, such as Mercedes-bound Kimi Antonelli next year.
Others like Mick Schumacher and Jack Doohan, make the circuit on the strength of their family name and their talent, while some, like Franco Colapinto, surprise their way in on merit.
As teams have begun to recognise the importance of giving rookies time to adapt, it is becoming clear that maturing, learning and opportunity are key factors that can make a hidden star shine at any time.
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