Max Verstappen F1 News: Red Bull star DISMISSED as title favourite

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen — Photo: © IMAGO

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Verstappen DISMISSED as F1 title favourite

There's a new favourite for the F1 title

Jay Winter

Thursday 5 September 2024 12:57 Updated: 16:29

Formula 1 race winner Ralf Schumacher has named McLaren's Lando Norris as the 'absolute favourite' for the drivers' title, despite the 62-point deficit to Max Verstappen with only eight races remaining.

Speaking on Sky Germany, Schumacher expressed confidence in Norris' ability to overturn the deficit, citing McLaren's recent performance surge and the mounting pressure on Red Bull as key factors.

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“In my view, that’s the case," Schumacher stated when asked if Norris was his absolute favourite for the title.

"Especially in the constructors’ championship. From a driver’s perspective as well, because Mercedes is still in the mix, and if Ferrari has more good weekends like now, especially with Charles Leclerc, they’ll take points off them as well.”

Norris lost out to Leclerc and Piastri on lap one in Monza

Norris, who secured pole position at the recent Italian Grand Prix at Monza, was unable to fully capitalise on his strong starting position, ultimately finishing in third place.

Meanwhile, Verstappen, who has dominated much of the season, could only manage a sixth-place finish.

This result, while not disastrous, marked a rare stumble for the Red Bull driver, adding fuel to Schumacher's argument that the championship is far from decided.

Red Bull have struggled with car balance since their new upgrades

Schumacher pointed to recent cracks in Red Bull's armour as a reason for his optimism regarding Norris' chances.

“And there’s always been this idea of ‘if [Max Verstappen] keeps finishing second…’ But at the moment, he’s far from second," Schumacher observed.

"And one mustn’t forget, the higher the pressure, the more mistakes they make.

"They’ve already made mistakes during pit stops, and then Max said ‘Pay attention now,’ [to his team on the radio], so something’s going on there.”

Verstappen's P6 was left the Dutchman frustrated at the Italian Grand Prix

The Italian Grand Prix highlighted potential vulnerabilities in Red Bull's campaign, with Verstappen unable to challenge for the podium and Red Bull's upgrade strategy appearing uncharacteristically shaky.

“I’ve rarely seen a team manage to do this during the season," Schumacher said in reference to a team turning around their misfortunes.

"There was one example, McLaren, but they started off terribly. And I can’t think of any other team that has done it.”

While Verstappen remains the favourite in the eyes of many, Schumacher's endorsement of Norris signals a growing belief that the young Brit could pull off a stunning upset.

Red Bull Max Verstappen McLaren Lando Norris Italian Grand Prix Ralf Schumacher