The Debate: Who will win the 2024 F1 Drivers' Championship?

The 2024 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship appeared to be a foregone conclusion when Max Verstappen sealed his seventh win from 10 races at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Advance 12 weeks and six races, the notion that Verstappen would wrap up his fourth world title in comprehensive fashion now appears increasingly questionable as rivals close in on the leader.

Lando Norris has marginally eaten away at Verstappen's healthy advantage at the top of the standings and the Briton enters the final third of the campaign in a McLaren MCL38 that is, arguably, the fastest car on the grid.

Will he be able to overhaul the Red Bull driver at the summit and claim a maiden world title?

Members of the bet365 News team discuss who they think will be crowned champion in Abu Dhabi come December.

Max Verstappen is on a different level and it will take something beyond Lando Norris' capabilities to stop him

Jaquob Crooke

Those that watch Formula 1 have grown all too accustomed to the comments of those with a lack of interest in the sport.

“It’s the fastest car that wins. It’s nothing to do with the driver," squeaks Dave, your irritating neighbour.

To an extent, yes, it is usually the fastest car on the grid that prevails. As we’ve witnessed in the previous two seasons, Max Verstappen was indomitable in a Red Bull car that was comprehensively the quickest.

Fast-forward to this year and we find ourselves in an entirely different scenario. Red Bull, who had started the season with the fastest package, have been overhauled by McLaren as the campaign’s unfolded.

At Monza, there was evidence to suggest that even their superiority over Ferrari and Mercedes has been extinguished.

As we approach the final eight rounds of the season, the margins could not be any tighter. Verstappen is again the one with a target on his back, but rather than the Dutchman easing off into the sunset, he’s being hunted down by a pack of starving animals.

Where many would wilt under the immense pressure, Verstappen remains composed. He knows what it takes to win a world championship, to thrive in uncomfortable circumstances.

This is where the driver makes all the difference.

Lando Norris is a fantastic talent but let’s make no mistake here, he’s not on Verstappen’s level.

Take the Italian Grand Prix as a prime example. Irrespective of team orders, there is absolutely no chance that Verstappen allows his teammate to pass. Add in the knowledge of his rival languishing in sixth, you suspect Verstappen would race smarter and take full advantage.

The Dutchman is clinical and calculated. We’re yet to see Norris demonstrate such a ruthless edge.

With only two wins to his name this season, Norris can consider himself fortunate he’s even in the frame to be a potential world champion with such few races remaining.

The only way he can oust Verstappen is if he embarks on a sensational winning run and on current observation, Norris will need to elevate his game to heights he hasn’t previously scaled.

This is not to say Norris can’t be a world champion in the future. It just feels as though this is a slim opportunity that he seems unable to grasp and will pass him by.

Even if Verstappen’s RB21 continues to undermine him, it’s a guarantee he will extract the most from his Red Bull package and accumulate enough points to get him over the line.

Move over Max Verstappen... Lando Norris is the new star of F1

Darren Durber

The aura of invincibility around Max Verstappen has been comprehensively shattered. In the void left behind, Britain’s Lando Norris has emerged as the new star of Formula One.

It seems unthinkable to write Verstappen off given the dominance the Dutchman has displayed over the last two seasons, however, there has been a clear shifting of the tide this summer and suddenly Verstappen has been left quite literally trailing in Norris’ wake.

Verstappen has only made two podiums in his last six races, a tremendous fall from grace, and he ended up a lowly sixth last time out at Monza. If that form continues then Norris and co will inevitably start to rein in the defending champion in the standings.

Red Bull aren’t the same animal as they were in the earlier parts of the season. McLaren are the new kids on the block and they are asserting their dominance on the F1 scene. They are likely to overtake Red Bull in the Constructors standings after Baku, barring a huge shift in the performances of both cars.

It is a big ask for Lando Norris to catch Max Verstappen of course, the gap of 62 points is large, but not insurmountable.

Since Verstappen’s last victory in Barcelona, Norris has outpointed the Dutchman. Not by much – the British driver has scored six more points than his title rival – but it is a significant reversal in form.

The gap would have been clearer if not for the controversial clash between the pair in Austria, when Norris looked set to overtake Verstappen before being forced to retire.

Norris secured his second win of the season at the Dutch Grand Prix, cruising to victory with a huge 22 second win over Verstappen on the world champions home turf – a potentially significant psychological blow.

At Monza, Norris was third, finishing seven points and 31 seconds clear of his rival. Baku is up next where the Brit is favourite to win again in Azerbaijan.

McLaren have announced a strategy change to prioritise Norris as their lead driver, with Oscar Piastri, who finished ahead of his teammate in two of the last three races, set to play second fiddle, as McLaren throw all of their weight behind the Norris title push.

Norris is the driving the fastest car, he is in better form than Verstappen, and his team have announced their support for a title battle.

Eight races to go and all the stars are aligning for Norris; write him off at your peril.

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