McLaren driver Lando Norris fell short at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this past weekend at the 4.309-kilometre Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Brazil, finishing in sixth place, which dealt a significant blow to his aspirations for a first Formula 1 world title. Max Verstappen emerged victorious, despite starting from 17th on the grid after a controversial moment in the qualifying session, with the result on Sunday evening bringing him one step closer to securing his fourth Drivers’ Championship.
With Max Verstappen’s win in Brazil, it increasingly appears that he is on track to become a four-time world champion, overshadowing McLaren’s Lando Norris, who had been gaining ground on the Dutchman in recent weeks. However, the result of this race has led to a notable absence of British media presence at the post-race press conference, as highlighted by Max Verstappen himself, indicating a consensus that the championship is heading back to the Netherlands with the three-time Formula 1 world champion.
Let’s examine how the British media has responded to Max Verstappen’s commanding 62-point lead with only three races left in the current season.
What the British media reported following the dominating win of Max Verstappen in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
BBC Sport
The BBC has focused on the average points per race that Lando Norris needed to accumulate to claim the championship in Abu Dhabi over recent weeks. However, their tone has shifted, expressing that Norris’s hopes of becoming champion are now ‘crushed’ after Max Verstappen delivered a performance considered among the greatest wet-weather drives in history. Their race summary stated, “Verstappen’s fourth world championship never really looked under that much threat. But there can be no doubt now.”
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail echoed the sentiment that Norris’s championship dreams are over, writing, “A flash, and Lando Norris’s dream surely died on a wet track as slippery as a chancellor’s promise.” They proclaimed Verstappen as the greatest driver on the planet, a claim that seems justified following his Brazil GP performance. The report also criticized Norris’s performance, dismissing his “lucky” excuse and arguing, “More pertinently, you cannot start on pole and lose ground to a weapons-grade talent starting 16 places behind.”
The Times
The Times did not hold back in their assessment of Norris’s performance, stating it was ‘not the driver of a champion-in-waiting.’ They firmly believed that Verstappen is now a certainty for the championship, noting that “Norris’ title hopes almost evaporated.” They also pointed out that Verstappen could clinch the championship in Las Vegas simply by finishing ahead of Lando Norris in that race.
The Sun
The Sun also concurred that Lando Norris’s chances of claiming the championship are slim, as suggested by the title of their article, “Norris title hopes fade.” They further noted that Max Verstappen “rubbed salt into Norris’ wounds” by highlighting the mistake the British driver made at the start of the race.
The Independent
The Independent followed suit with a report titled “Max Verstappen deals fatal F1 title blow to Lando Norris with stunning win in Brazil.” They also presented a noteworthy statistic, stating, “Verstappen becomes the first driver since Kimi Raikkonen 19 years ago to win a race from as far back on the grid.”
In summary, the British media seems to share a consensus that Lando Norris’s quest for the 2024 Formula 1 championship is all but over. Despite the fact that for the McLaren driver it is not completely impossible to catch up, all that the Dutchman needs to do is outperform him in the upcoming race. The next challenge awaits at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 24th, with just three rounds until the end of the Formula 1 campaign.
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