Lando Norris at risk of becoming F1's worst world champion in nearly 30 years

It's been a strange old season down at McLaren for Lando Norris as there have been great highs and incredible lows.

Yet, the world champion has never looked like he was going to defend his title.

Sure there were back-to-back wins in Hungary and the Netherlands that suggested there was going to be a late season resurgence but even the British racer admitted the title was already long gone when that was suggested to him.

It's odd for a world champion to be such a side-plot during an F1 season and in more recent times, it's got worse for Norris.

Since calling for Franco Colapinto to be banned at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Norris has had to go into the gravel and cost himself two places to avoid hitting his team-mate Oscar Piastri at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

That only led to Norris hitting him anyway at the last race in Singapore before throwing away a podium after letting through Kimi Antonelli while trying to pass the struggling Lewis Hamilton.

F1 HEADLINES: Horner reveals Mercedes offer as battle to replace Hamilton hots up

Norris title F1 title hopes all but dead

This weekend at the United States Grand Prix, there is a good chance his title defence officially ends. He has 201 points compared to series leader Kimi Antonelli's 340.

With six races to go that means he must outscore the Mercedes driver by at least nine points in Austin. He's only done that three times this season and not since July.

So in terms of winning the title, it's all but over for Norris but pride is very much at stake as we head into the final six races.

Norris must finish above sixth

Norris is sixth in the world championship and this is crucial because if he ends up staying there once the flag comes down in Abu Dhabi (or Imola) he will officially be F1's worst world champion since Damon Hill in 1997.

Every single driver since Hill starting with Jacques Villeneuve's title defence in 1998 has finished fifth or higher.

Even then we have to add a disclaimer for Hill. He was leaving Williams for Arrows, a team that had never won a race, because he was forced out at Grove. The 1996 champion finishing 12th in 1997 in one of the worst cars on the grid was far from a disgrace

Norris is driving for the world champions, and he is going to have to climb to at least fifth to avoid being officially the worst world champion in the last 30 years.

Luckily, it's far from mission impossible. George Russell 37 points down the road in second place is a tough gap to breach, as may be Lewis Hamilton who in third is 28 points clear of Norris.

Max Verstappen is within striking distance at 20 points, well under the 25 points for a race win, but the Dutchman is also arguably the most in-form driver on the grid having won the last two races.

That leaves Charles Leclerc in fifth for Ferrari who is 14 points down the road and probably Norris's best hope for catching and passing before the end of the season.

Admittedly, Norris has easily beaten Piastri this season, holding a 63 point lead but in terms of title defences there is going to be no hiding from the record books if he fails to climb into the top five.

F1 world champions and their championship finish the following year

READ MORE: Christian Horner makes heartbreaking accusation against Helmut Marko

READ MORE: Christian Horner makes bombshell Masi Abu Dhabi 2021 admission

Written by

Dan Ripley - Global Editor

I've been a massive F1 fan since the mid 1990s and continue to study the history of the sport long before that. As an experienced motor sport reporter covering F1, MotoGP and the LeMans 24 Hour race, being part of GPFans has allowed me to work with a diverse team with all sorts of different backgrounds in watching the sport and given me a greater appreciation of F1.

View full biography