Lando Norris seemed visibly frustrated after essentially watching the Formula One world title slip away to an unstoppable Max Verstappen. Speaking in Sao Paulo on Sunday night, the McLaren driver sounded defensive. He'll likely look back with regret on his comment that Verstappen's win at the Brazilian Grand Prix was a result of 'luck' rather than skill. In reality, it was anything but lucky; it was one of the most masterly displays of wet-weather driving the sport has ever seen.
Starting from 17th, Verstappen performed a daring move at Turn 3, sweeping past three cars on the outside—a moment that echoed Ayrton Senna’s legendary 1993 drive at Donington. While other elite drivers were spinning out or struggling to keep their cars on the asphalt, Verstappen remained composed, maximizing the Red Bull's potential with effortless precision.
One can't help but feel for Norris, who is competing against a talent so overwhelming it feels inevitable. To put it in boxing terms, Norris is like the skilled Frank Bruno: a formidable athlete in his own right, but completely outmatched when facing 'Iron' Mike Tyson in that infamous 1997 Vegas fight.
Now, in the wake of this disappointment, Norris is left questioning if the sport's ultimate prize will ever be his. For many, a window of opportunity like this opens only once in a career. He might get another shot, or he might not. It's worth noting that McLaren hasn't even come close to a title fight since Lewis Hamilton secured the championship for them back in 2008.
With McLaren expected to remain a frontrunner next season, Norris may get a second chance to cement his legacy. If that happens, he'll need to approach the fight with far more self-belief than he showed during this year's high-pressure moments. At Mail Sport, we saw his potential long before he or his own team did, and we've consistently urged him to be more aggressive in seizing his moments.
We were critical of the team orders that cost him the win in Hungary, a race where Oscar Piastri took the trophy despite many feeling Norris deserved it more. Similarly, it seemed Piastri was told to hold back in Monza, preventing him from overtaking Norris after a poor start from pole, which ultimately cost the team valuable points.
There is an argument that applying 'scoreboard pressure'—a concept from cricket—could have shaken Verstappen's confidence and shifted the title race's momentum. While some disagree, it was a psychological tactic that McLaren could have explored more effectively.
Even Red Bull was surprised by how haphazardly McLaren handled the drivers' championship battle. To be fair to McLaren, their main priority was securing the constructors' title, something they haven't achieved since the turn of the century.
That said, winning both championships wasn't an impossible dream. There is no doubt that if Verstappen had been in the McLaren instead of the Red Bull, he would have cruised to victory. Since the Miami GP in May, the McLaren has been the faster car, leaving Verstappen to fight tooth and nail to protect his lead. If McLaren truly doubted Norris's ability to win on his own, it raises serious questions about his long-term ceiling in the sport.
If I were in Zak Brown's shoes as McLaren's CEO, I'd give Norris another year, but with a strict condition. He needs to stop acting like a grateful runner-up. He recently admitted that Verstappen is the best in the world—and while that may be true, a true champion has to block out that noise and refuse to accept it.