Lando Norris, McLaren shortcomings show Formula 1's new biggest strength

Following a 2023 season that many would consider one of the most lackluster in recent memory, 2024 started off in very similar fashion, with Red Bull and three-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen leading home three 1-2 finishes and an additional 1-3 finish in the opening five races.

Red Bull looked to be even further ahead than they were at the end of last year, Verstappen looked more comfortable with the car than ever, and Sergio Perez was back on form after a poor end to 2023. It was safe to assume that Formula 1 was destined for another season of Verstappen dominance, perhaps even more so than in 2023.

Yet here we are halfway into the season, and there have been six different race winners across four different teams. The competition at the top is perhaps the closest it has ever been.

Ever since Lando Norris got his first Grand Prix victory in Miami, fans, teams, and drivers have all entered each session not entirely confident in knowing who is truly the fastest. Not since the legendary 2012 season has Formula 1 had such little clarity on who is the favorite or seen such parity shining at its brightest.

What has been clear, though, is that since the Miami Grand Prix, McLaren have been the only team to truly be in contention for the win at every race, a stark contrast to the rather up-and-down nature of Mercedes and Ferrari. While Red Bull have been able to match, or even be slightly quicker than McLaren, they too have had their off weekends, particularly in Monaco.

However, despite McLaren's consistent speed, they have failed to win a single race since Miami.

Surely a team that pairs Norris and Oscar Piastri, two world-class talents, with a consistent race-winning car would be able to win races, right? Unfortunately for McLaren and their two drivers, they have been decimated with little mistakes and errors in judgement that have cost them dearly.

At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Piastri had his front row starting spot taken away after the team failed to inform him of a fast approaching Kevin Magnussen in qualifying, which relegated him to P5 and effectively ruined a potential McLaren double team on Verstappen in the race.

Two races later in Canada, Norris brilliantly drove from third place to take the lead in the damp conditions early on, before McLaren were caught napping during the safety car by both Red Bull and Mercedes, pitting a lap later for fresh intermediates and falling back to third again. While Norris was able to get back to second behind Verstappen, it felt like it was one that got away.

For the very next race, the Spanish Grand Prix, Norris qualified on pole position, but he lost out to both Verstappen and George Russell on the run down to turn one after a poor getaway. Combined with a rather interesting strategy from McLaren, Norris played second fiddle to Verstappen and Red Bull again after a late charge.

Then came the now-infamous Austrian Grand Prix incident, where after several laps of Norris divebombs and Verstappen moves under braking in defense of the lead, the pair collided, gave each other punctures, and handed the win to Russell and Mercedes.

While Verstappen was deemed to be at fault, as illustrated by his 10-second penalty, had Norris been calmer and patient behind the ultra-aggressive Verstappen, he likely would have passed him eventually, given his pace advantage at the end. Instead, Norris came away with zero points and lost out on yet another victory.

And finally, we have the British Grand Prix. Early in the race, Norris and Piastri both passed the two Mercedes for first and second place in the damp conditions, and they looked set for a brilliant 1-2 finish on home soil.

However, Piastri was quickly taken out of contention after McLaren inexplicably left him out for an extra lap on slick tires rather than double stacking him and Norris in the pits.

Then Norris lost the lead, and subsequently the win, after he pitted for slicks a lap later than Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen, and he added insult to injury by sliding through his pit box. Not only that, McLaren also wrongly put him on soft tires, when unlike other teams, they had a new set of the much-preferred medium tires to use.

Even if you ignore the way(s) Norris again lost out, Piastri likely would have won, as he finished under 13 seconds off the lead without the help of a safety car, despite losing over 20 seconds with that extra lap on slick tires.

When you add all of this up, it's quite possible that McLaren could have won up to four or five races this season, yet they are stuck with just a single victory, despite having what has often been the fastest car.

McLaren, a midfield team for over a decade before last season, are, along with their drivers, learning the hard way that it takes much more than just a fast car to win in Formula 1.

For the neutral fans of Formula 1, McLaren's shortcomings can actually be seen as a good thing.

Sure, if you’re a McLaren fan, this doesn’t apply. Still, what can’t be denied is that while they have thrown away a few chances at a victory, other teams have always been right there to pick up the pieces.

What has often been Formula 1’s biggest weakness now appears to be one of its greater strengths in 2024. How many times in years past did Mercedes or Red Bull have a blunder, only to win anyway because of their huge advantage over the field?

McLaren’s mistakes are being more magnified because of how close the grid is at the front. With as many as four teams in contention for the pole and win at every race, even the smallest of errors now has major consequences.

With that, fans have gotten almost exactly what they want in terms of how the competition is stacked, and how the results are ultimately determined. It’s all in the hands of the drivers and the teams’ abilities to execute a solid race, rather than their cars simply being better than the rest.

The team with the best strategy and the driver with the best pace, mentality, and race craft now prevail more often than not.

There’s a reason Perez is struggling more than he ever has as a Red Bull driver. Even though he has been poor, everybody knows that he is a solid driver, especially when he's in the right environment. It’s simply down to the fact that drivers such as Verstappen, Hamilton, Norris, and Russell, among a few others, are the class of the field, and their talent is able to make the difference.

While the current status of driver standings suggests that a title fight may be out of reach, the constructor battle remains very tight and is anyone’s game.

However, should the competition remain as close and unpredictable as it has been, or potentially get even closer for 2025, the prospect of a truly titanic fight for the world championship would grow exponentially.