Can Max Verstappen bounce back against Lando Norris at US GP?
Max Verstappen is presently going through one of his longest win droughts in F1 amidst the 2024 title fight against Lando Norris.
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Lando Norris and Max Verstappen (Via IMAGO)
Max Verstappen was considered the favorite to win the 2024 F1 world title at the start of the season. The Dutch driver seemed to be on course to win the championship after winning seven of the first ten races. Unfortunately, things have gone downhill for the 27-year-old since then.
Verstappen last won the Spanish GP in June this year. Since then, the reigning world champion has fallen behind to Lando Norris in terms of pure pace. As the McLaren driver closes the gap to Max Verstappen in the title fight.
The three-time world champion presently leads Norris by 52 points with six races to go. However, it is McLaren that will be on the front foot considering the team’s lead in the Constructors’ standings. As such, Max Verstappen will need a great weekend to bounce back and secure his fourth F1 title in a row.
Max Verstappen needs to cleverly manage himself at US GP
Verstappen’s lead in the standings ensures that the Dutch driver can win the title even if Norris wins every race. Although, for such a scenario, he must finish second on virtually all occasions. This provides Max Verstappen with a simple plan for the US GP.
It is unlikely that Red Bull will manage to turn things around in Austin this weekend. McLaren’s pace advantage is too significant in this regard. As such, Max Verstappen will need to play the long game and not take too many risks against Norris.
The Dutch driver needs to keep his foot down and try to finish ahead of Lando Norris. If this does happen, it would be a major boost for Verstappen. However, the Dutchman understands that even if he loses 8 points to Norris in a weekend, it would still be a good day in the office.
Fans should not expect Max Verstappen and Red Bull to emerge victorious in Austin. Rather, the reigning world champions must do as much as needed to keep its advantage against Norris. However, if Lando Norris goes wheel-to-wheel against the Dutchman, things could indeed end up in a collision, which would completely change the championship scenario.
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Armaan Agarwal
(2310 Articles Published)