Formula 1 in Brazil: Why Lando Norris is not yet a World Cup candidate

A title race like this needs drama. On and off the track. As befits the moody weather in São Paulo on Formula 1’s super-long Sunday, it had a decisive influence on the confrontation between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. But it wasn’t the rain chaos that ultimately caused Lando Norris to fail. That was the same for everyone. It wasn’t just bad luck for him that Red Bull delayed changing the tires until the race had to be stopped due to irregular conditions.

The 69 memorable laps of Interlagos, in which Verstappen flew to victory from 17th on the grid, are primarily a sign. They show Norris that he hasn’t quite reached the world championship level yet. To only make sixth place out of the seventh pole position of the year shows that the driver was weak at the crucial moment, even if this is consistently denied by everyone involved at McLaren. But it wasn’t Norris’ first misfire.

“I’ve had some good races and it was time for one to go wrong,” said the 24-year-old laconically. But unfortunately it was a very decisive one: Max Verstappen can become world champion for the fourth time in a row at the next race at the end of November in Las Vegas with a lead of 62 points with 86 points still outstanding in the last three races. Norris spoke of a lottery at the Autodromo Carlos Pace, after which he had won the prize. The tire and set-up advantage of his McLaren was lost, he also made a few mistakes: “It was unfortunate, nothing more.”

Emotions and adrenaline become Max Verstappen’s personal four-wheel drive

Was it really just bad luck? Just as even motorsport laypeople could have immediately recognized the enormous self-confidence in Verstappen’s triumph, the uncertainty in Norris’ driving style was obvious. When he tried to replace his lack of courage with arrogance late in the race, it promptly went wrong. For McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, who recently turned the title race into a battle between good and evil, the defeat is difficult to sugarcoat. But of course he has to try: “The others also looked good because they put everything on one card. Something like that is always easier when you’re behind. Then in the end you look like a hero.” When it comes to the necessary risk awareness and uncompromising attitude, the Italian is certainly not wrong.

After all, McLaren has made up further ground in the constructors’ championship, also because Red Bull Racing remains a one-man team: teammate Sergio Perez only finished eleventh. Stella immediately switched back to motivation mode. He doesn’t think it’s fair to ask whether Norris makes too many mistakes to become world champion: “Max is a fantastic driver, does a fantastic job and Lando is just behind him. We are proud of where we are and Lando should be very proud of his achievement. A race like today can happen.” But it can only be accepted if the right conclusions are drawn from it.

Those emotions and all the adrenaline that become a personal four-wheel drive for Verstappen seem to inhibit his opponent, who is three years his junior. Because of the general confusion, Norris started off again prematurely after the aborted first start and was only given a warning and a small fine due to the general confusion. But over the next two hours, the McLaren driver was never able to shake off the turmoil of emotions that apparently prevailed within him. He got stuck in his own world of thoughts.

Norris is just as quick and clever as his friend Verstappen, although the true status of their friendship has recently remained vague. But he is usually only as fast as his car. But only those pilots who outgrow their vehicle make it into the Champions League – Michael Schumacher, for example. They always shine especially when they are not in the fastest racing car. Who can immediately adapt to changing conditions, however difficult they may be. Stella has a different perspective: “When the wheels of a car lock up, I don’t look at the driver, but at the car.”

Being constantly under pressure in the sixth year of Formula 1, having to compete against one of the smartest teams ever and one of the best drivers in history, is a lesson for Lando Norris. Always presenting yourself as a counter-proposition is not enough. In the long term, optimism needs a solid basis. The biggest British title hope since Lewis Hamilton has to find his way on the racetrack. In Interlagos, Norris fluctuated too much between discouragement and arrogance; he never seemed to feel really comfortable in his car and his role. After the race he was even able to admit that Verstappen would probably have won with his hussar ride even without the advantage of the interruption.

That would have been an even greater humiliation and in keeping with the style of his opponent, who not only wants to win but also prefers to destroy the others. Lando Norris and McLaren have arrived in the highest regions of motorsport as the season’s newcomers. A fairly inhospitable zone in which no one needs to hope for particularly good hospitality.