The 2024 F1 season is still in its relatively early stages, but it’s already starting to shape up as being a little less predictable than many observers had feared going into it.
As everybody with even a passing interest in F1 would have anticipated, Max Verstappen leads the way in the Drivers’ Championship. He currently has 161 points, giving him a healthy lead over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (113 points), Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez (107 points) and McLaren’s Lando Norris (101 points).
Norris is the driver with the momentum at present, having followed up a second-place finish at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai by claiming his maiden F1 victory in Miami, before he then finished a mere 0.725 seconds behind Verstappen in Imola. In fact, had there been just a couple more laps, Norris may well have reeled Verstappen in and overtaken him at Imola.
It’s four podium finishes in five races now for Norris, which is a sequence of results that suggests he can be genuinely competitive over the rest of the season. 25/1 is the best price currently available on Norris causing an upset.
The 24-year-old Briton has also benefitted from a major upgrade package on his car ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, which included changes to the floor, front wing and sidepods, among other things.
It would take a brave (or perhaps foolish) individual to back against Verstappen securing a fourth straight title, but McLaren now appear to have a car that can compete on a regular basis.
In addition to that, given the various issues at Red Bull – a power struggle between the owners, allegations against team principal Christian Horner, reported feud between Horner and motorsport director Helmut Marko and chief technical officer Adrian Newey’s decision to part company with the team at the end of the current season – there’s enough to suggest that we might just have an unexpected twist or two that could hamper Verstappen’s charge towards another title.
As things stand, Norris is perhaps the driver best placed to take advantage of any such opportunities should they arise. Catching the defending champion is already a big ask for anyone, but in the betting to win the Drivers’ Championship without Verstappen, Norris looks worth a punt.
