For every winner, there is also a runner-up. While Norris arrived in Las Vegas with the faint hope of delaying Verstappen’s title celebration, the Nevada weekend turned out worse than expected. Not only did Red Bull’s star driver clinch his fourth consecutive championship, but McLaren also lost 12 points to Ferrari in the battle for the Constructors’ title, with their lead shrinking to just 24 points.
The MCL38 struggled to match the pace of the frontrunners in the chilly nighttime conditions, and Lando Norris had to settle for sixth place, just ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri. McLaren seemed to suffer the most from tire graining among the leading teams.
As the last barrier between Max Verstappen and the championship, Norris began his analysis by addressing the inevitable: “Congratulations to Max; he deserved it. He didn’t put a foot wrong all season. That’s his strength—he has no weaknesses. When he had the best car, he dominated the races. When he didn’t, he was always right behind us, threatening to win. He didn’t have a single bad race this year. His worst result was something like fifth. He’s always driven perfectly.”
When asked if he felt there was still more to learn from Verstappen, Norris added: “If we’d had a better car from the start of the year, we could’ve fought him harder and put him under more pressure. I think we did manage to do that at times because when we did, he and his team made mistakes. But those mistakes were rare compared to their strong performances. That’s what makes him so good—he always extracts the maximum from the car, and it’s impressive to see. There’s always something to learn from him. I’m happy for him; he deserves it, but I hope to challenge him more next year.”
Despite the disappointment, Norris emphasized that this season is one McLaren should be proud of: “I’m very proud of the team for fighting so hard and recovering so much. At the start of the year, we were the fourth-best team. Red Bull never was. We had too much ground to make up from the beginning, and we couldn’t catch up because they were too strong. Next year, we’re heading into the season with a car we believe can fight for the championship from the first race—something we haven’t had in the last six years, so I’m excited.”
He continued: “I’m also proud of my personal achievements—my first win in Formula 1, actually my first three wins. Beyond that, no one else has managed to challenge Max and Red Bull like we have. It’s been me and McLaren, so I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished. Could we have done better in some areas? Absolutely. But could we have won the championship even with a perfect season? I don’t think so. So, I’m happy with second place.”
On a difficult Sunday for McLaren, Mercedes’ strong double podium helped limit the damage in the Constructors’ standings, now McLaren’s primary focus for the final two races. This is a trophy Woking hasn’t claimed since 1998. However, Norris seemed more concerned about the car’s struggles than the points situation.
“Yes, the Constructors’ title is important, but what worries me more is how poor our car was, not Mercedes’ strength. It’s clear we have a lot of work to do because it was too hard to drive and didn’t perform in these conditions. Even if people think we have the best car, this weekend proves otherwise. Maybe I could have pushed more, but if I had, I might have ended up in the wall. So…”
Looking ahead, Norris feels more optimistic about the upcoming race at Lusail for the Qatar GP: “A lot has changed since last year, but these high-speed circuits suit Red Bull very well. So, I don’t expect us to be favorites, but I believe we have a car that can fight much harder than we did this weekend.”
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