From Pole to Peril: The Points That Slipped Through Norris’s Fingers

Lando Norris and McLaren F1 face scrutiny after a season marred by missed opportunities, leaving their championship ambitions in tatters.

Following the Brazilian Grand Prix, barring a miracle, Lando Norris has seen his final hopes of clinching the Drivers’ Championship title fade away.

Since this event, McLaren F1’s narrative has shifted: the team now claims it was never truly aiming for the Drivers’ title, focusing instead on the Constructors’ Championship.

Is this a case of rewriting history? Could it be denial? The fact remains: against an unyielding Max Verstappen who left nothing to chance, Lando Norris and McLaren F1 squandered a significant number of points this season. Here’s a look back at these missed opportunities.

These accumulated mistakes leave Norris, currently 62 points behind Verstappen with 86 points still available, far from the title fight—an otherwise smaller gap if not for these repeated errors.

Bahrain Grand Prix

Lando Norris began the season with a fifth-place finish at the opening race, having qualified sixth. He admitted to making a mistake in qualifying, which cost him a chance at the front row.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

In Jeddah, teammate Oscar Piastri outperformed him in both qualifying and the race, securing fourth place. Had Norris matched or surpassed Piastri’s performance, he might have targeted that fourth position and added a few extra points.

Australian Grand Prix

In Australia, Norris finished third, behind the Ferraris, after following Charles Leclerc during his first pit stop. Norris later regretted not attempting an undercut strategy, which could have put him ahead of Leclerc.

Japanese Grand Prix

Starting third on the grid, Norris ultimately finished fifth, beaten by the in-form Ferraris. While he made no major errors, he likely could have achieved a better result given his high starting position.

Sprint Race – Chinese Grand Prix

The string of missed pole conversions begins in Shanghai’s sprint race. Starting from pole, Norris falters at the start and finishes sixth, losing four points. A stronger start could have secured him vital championship points.

Miami Grand Prix (Sprint)

Norris falls out of contention for top positions after a disappointing qualifying session, leaving him poorly placed in the midfield. With better qualifying, akin to his teammate Piastri’s, Norris could have started sixth and had the chance to earn three additional points.

Canadian Grand Prix

In Montreal, McLaren squanders a major opportunity by failing to pit Norris under the safety car, costing him a potential victory. While Red Bull swiftly switches Verstappen to intermediates, McLaren delays, denying Norris a shot at the lead. This mistake costs him a win and approximately 14 points.

Spanish Grand Prix

Starting from pole, Norris loses first position on the opening lap and later second to Verstappen and Russell. Despite recovering ground, he fails to catch the Red Bull, letting a possible victory slip away.

Sprint Race – Austrian Grand Prix

In this sprint, Norris briefly takes the lead by overtaking Verstappen but leaves an opening that allows his rival to reclaim first place quickly. A more robust defense could have netted him two additional points over Max.

British Grand Prix

Another race McLaren could have won. After a brief stint in the lead, Norris finishes third due to two strategic errors by his team: pitting one lap too late and opting for soft tires instead of mediums. These decisions cost him victory and ten points.

Belgian Grand Prix

At Spa, Norris endures a poor qualifying session and gets stuck in a gravel trap early in the race. Instead of securing second place like Piastri, he finishes fifth, losing eight points.

Brazilian Grand Prix

At Interlagos, Norris starts from pole but falters in both starts (the second following the red flag), ultimately finishing sixth instead of maintaining the lead. Verstappen claims a commanding win, while Norris, trapped behind competitors, fails to recover. He also makes a mistake during the second start, going off-track. Additionally, McLaren pits him just before the virtual safety car ends, further compounding his disadvantage. He loses 17 points that could have kept him in the title fight.

Season Overview

Norris’s errors—whether missed strategies, slow starts, or underperformance—have cost him approximately 92 points. Strategic missteps by his team account for an additional 27, while external factors, including bad luck, represent about 31 points lost.

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Norris’s Fumbles: Points Lost – Title Dreams Dashed Norris’s Fumbles: Points Lost – Title Dreams Dashed