Hamilton 'checked out' and EMBARRASSING Norris doesn't deserve title - US Grand Prix hot takes

Norris and Verstappen in Austin — Photo: © IMAGO

US Grand Prix

Hamilton 'checked out' and EMBARRASSING Norris doesn't deserve title - US Grand Prix hot takes

Ferrari were the big winners from the action-packed race

Alex Cole

Monday 21 October 2024 03:00 Updated: 03:46

The United States Grand Prix in Austin did not fail to live up to its hype, a thrilling race that will be fondly remembered.

The talking point afterwards will be on Lando Norris' crucial five-second penalty for overtaking Max Verstappen off the track.

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However, the pair of title chasers were battling for third position, not first, as both Ferrari stars Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz led the pack.

McLaren remain ahead in the constructors' standings, but the Italian team move within eight points of Red Bull after their one-two finish.

Stuart Hodge - Global Editor

Lando Norris will never win the F1 world title until he stops looking at everyone else and starts concentrating on himself.

The run into turn one was EMBARRASSING for him - he was fearful of Max Verstappen and it ended up with him making a complete mess of it by not covering the angle assertively, and "just not being aggressive enough" as Martin Brundle put it.

It was limp racing, and the moans afterwards were similarly pitiful to listen to from an outstanding driver who has the speed and talent but just not the edge needed when the stakes ratchet up.

Verstappen often gets accused of racing in a way which is unsporting - but he has three world championships and is homing in on a fourth when McLaren have had a faster car for much of the season. The Dutchman held onto a precious third place with a defensive drive for the ages in the Austin sunshine.

The late decision was not controversial, it was correct, and the stewards made an accurate call.

Michael Schumacher is my personal GOAT and he had a ruthless killer instinct when it came to high octane battles. He won races, not friends and Norris needs to gain a bit of that ruthlessness if he's going to truly realise his potential.

Will Lando Norris rue mistakes at the start and end of the US GP?

Dan Ripley - Deputy Global Editor

There was always going to be a moment this season when Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes would reach a moment where it looked all over... even if that could have conceivably been the last race at Abu Dhabi.

But the US Grand Prix looks like being the actual race where the seven-time world champion 'checked out'. Hamilton has always gone well at COTA, winning a record five times at the track and looking extremely competitive when he doesn't cross the line first.

But after damage before the sprint race where he trundled home an anonymous sixth, followed by a miserable early exit in qualifying where he was second slowest and then clumsily spinning out of the race on the second lap - this was maybe the worst ever F1 race for Hamilton as he now surely starts clearing his desk at Mercedes as he starts focusing more on Ferrari.

Has Lewis Hamilton started focussing on 2025 with Ferrari?

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

The 2024 race at COTA saw McLaren claim their first pole position at the US GP since Lewis Hamilton at Indianapolis in 2007. With Lando Norris at the wheel, there would have previously been doubts over converting the advantage into a win, but no that weakness had been disproved when he led every lap from pole to win in Singapore last time out… right?

WRONG. In a completely predictable turn of events, Norris lost his lead almost instantly, displaying his sheer lack of experience and maturity on track despite this being his fifth season racing in the pinnacle of motorsport.

His mood constantly switches depending on his on-track performance, perhaps acceptable for a rookie but until Norris gets a grip of himself, who he is as a driver and what sets him apart from racers like Verstappen (who displayed a defensive masterclass in Austin, for the record) Norris does not deserve to win a championship.

In case you missed it amongst Norris’ moaning, Leclerc on the other hand displayed yet another clean run and with the Monegasque star creeping up in the drivers’ standings behind Norris, is proving himself more worthy of becoming a champion in the near future. Jenson Button declared Leclerc’s performance ‘a clinic’ in the post-race interviews, and it sure does take a champion to know one.

Is Charles Leclerc a future F1 champion?

Chris Deeley - US Editor

If Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career was probably already dead, then Liam Lawson piled dirt on its coffin at COTA, coming in and driving the wheels off his VCARB to take ninth place in an eventful race.

The Kiwi has already shown that Red Bull were right to swap antipodeans, but he also showed up Yuki Tsunoda in a big way on his return to the grid, outdriving his team-mate on both the medium and hard tyres.

Red Bull have all but admitted that the last six races are a shootout for Sergio Perez’s seat, which Perez himself is competing in, and if Sunday is any indication…well.

Perez was bad. Again. In vastly superior machinery to Lawson, he barely put ten seconds into the Kiwi. He finished 40 seconds down on Max Verstappen. They might’ve given themselves six races to make the decision, but it feels like one might’ve been enough. If Perez stays in his seat for 2025, it’s as a personality hire rather than for his pace.

Did Liam Lawson do enough today for a seat with Red Bull in 2025?

Sheona Mountford - F1 journalist

Charles Leclerc achieved a spectacular victory at COTA with his third win of the season in a perfectly executed race from Ferrari.

His victory was also aided by team-mate Carlos Sainz, who was able to perform the undercut on Verstappen and played the perfect number two role to help Leclerc secure the win.

However, this beneficial relationship will come to an end next year when Lewis Hamilton joins the team, who will not be content to play the same role as Sainz at Ferrari.

Which raises the question: has Ferrari made the right decision by signing Hamilton?

If Ferrari find themselves in a battle against Verstappen next year, their two evenly matched drivers’ could snatch points away from each other and fail to maximise their results against Red Bull.

When Hamilton arrives at Ferrari both him and Leclerc will be vying for the number one role, and the fight between themselves could hinder their championship chances.

Without a clear number two driver the team have an extra issue to contend with, and perhaps Hamilton could cost Ferrari a world title rather than earn them one.