The eye-catching progress made by McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri has been one of the major talking points of the 2024 Formula One season. The pair have recorded five victories between them this year, which has sparked debate about whether they can knock Red Bull’s Max Verstappen off his perch.
While Verstappen looks a good bet to win his fourth consecutive world title, many people believe McLaren are well-placed to mount a serious challenge next season.
McLaren Duo are a Rising Force in F1
An impressive victory for Norris at the recent Singapore Grand Prix kept his faint hopes of winning the 2024 world title alive. Verstappen still holds a 52-point advantage with six races remaining, which should be a sufficient margin for him to clinch his fourth successive title.
He is the bookmakers’ favourite to get the job done, with the sportsbook linked to the Betpanda ethereum casino platform rating him as a 57/100 shot to hold onto top spot. Norris and Piastri may well finish second and third in the championship this term, which would set them up nicely for a sustained title bid in 2025.
Verstappen’s dominance in F1 has waned significantly over the past few months, with his last victory coming at the Spanish Grand Prix in June.
Ongoing issues with the sports’ governing body are not helping his mindset and he is not guaranteed to remain in the series if these are not resolved. While it would be surprising if Verstappen jumped ship from F1, his current dissatisfaction is undoubtedly a major boost to McLaren’s hopes of success.
Norris and Piastri are driving McLaren’s resurgence
McLaren have not won the Constructor’s Championship since Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard combined to lead them to top spot in 1998. However, they are well placed to end their title drought this season, with the team currently holding a 41-point lead over Red Bull at the top of the standings.
Norris and Piastri have linked up extremely well this season—a position that is in stark contrast to Verstappen’s relationship with Sergio Perez. Perez has contributed 144 points to Red Bull’s tally this term, sparking talk that he could be replaced if he doesn’t show significant signs of improvement. While Verstappen leapt to the defence of his teammate over his poor form earlier in the season, the two drivers have not always got along.
Despite already winning the championship towards the back end of 2023, Verstappen refused team orders to assist Perez. The three-time world champion insisted it was not his job to help his teammate finish second overall in the championship.
His attitude was in stark contrast to the positive relationship enjoyed by Norris and Piastri, who seem happy to help each other when the need arises.
McLaren look primed for success next season
McLaren’s re-emergence as a force in F1 is excellent news for a series which was going stale due to Verstappen’s overwhelming dominance. The synergy between Norris and Piastri will be critical to their chances of success next season, and it will be intriguing to see how things develop if they become embroiled in a title battle.
The pair have worked well up to this point, but challenging for titles can do strange things to even the most positive relationships in the heat of battle. If Verstappen remains in F1 after winning his fourth title in a row, he is unlikely to make things easy for the McLaren pairing.
Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari adds another intriguing layer to what promises to be a truly epic battle for F1 glory next season. However, given the progress they have made this term, it would be no surprise to see Norris and Piastri leading their rivals a merry dance in 2025.
