Lando Norris admits defeat: “I wasn’t ready to fight Max Verstappen” – Las Vegas GP. Lando Norris admits he wasn’t on par with Max Verstappen to compete for the 2024 F1 championship.

Lando Norris owned up to his “shortcomings” and shared how he’s experiencing the 2024 Formula 1 world championship battle with Max Verstappen during the Las Vegas GP press conference. The English driver acknowledged that his chances of winning the championship are now minimal, leaving him with little opportunity to wrest the title from his rival.

For Lando Norris, the issue lies in his preparation and how much he truly fought for this championship. He admitted there were elements missing that could have allowed him to compete until the end, adding that his position this season has been far from easy.

“I’ve been racing in F1 for six years, but before this season, I was never in the front line to fight for a championship. So, this has been my first opportunity to do so—McLaren’s first chance in years—and my first chance to see where I stand. And I definitely wasn’t at the level I needed to be at the start of the year,” Lando Norris began.

Lando Norris: “I have no hope of winning; Verstappen has it all under control”
“Honestly, I’m really happy with how the last few months have gone. I wouldn’t change much about what’s happened. But I still need to improve. I’m not completely satisfied with what I’ve done. I know I definitely need to make some changes.” – the British driver pointed out.

For the English driver, the championship was lost in the early part of the season, not in the later stages where he showed significant improvement. “For the first time, I feel like I almost have everything I need to fight for a championship—but only now, at the end of the season. The battle with Max has helped me grow and brought me to this point, but at the start of the year, I wasn’t ready.” – the McLaren man continued ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend.

“Now, I don’t have much hope. I’m on my own. Even if I were to win the last three races, it might not be enough. That’s why Brazil was tough for me—I felt terrible for a week. I realized there was very little I could actually do. Now it’s too late to fight, but that’s okay,” Lando Norris concluded.