'Definitely Possible': Hamilton Believes Norris Can Still Catch Verstappen In Championship

Thursday, 31 October 2024 at 22:00

Lewis Hamilton suggested he believes Lando Norris can still beat Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship fight despite the significant point deficit.

During the most recent Grand Prix race in Mexico City, Lando Norris closed the gap in the Championship to Max Verstappen by ten points after finishing second with the Dutchman in P6.

Only four race weekends (including the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix) remain in the 2024 season, and if the McLaren driver wants to catch Verstappen, he now needs to gain precisely 11 points on him every weekend.

Although there is still a considerable gap that the 24-year-old F1 driver has to close, the seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton (who will drive Ayrton Senna's McLaren this weekend) believes it is definitely possible. He told the media at Interlagos Circuit:

"It's really exciting for the sport. The last couple of years have not necessarily been so exciting with Max just leading the way and that sometimes happens."

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"But I think it's been really exciting for the fans to see that it can go right down to the wire at the end of the year. There's still a possibility of Lando catching up."

"I read somewhere I think he's got to get 11 points more or something in each race of these next races, which is definitely possible with the performance they have. We all know Max and his strengths, and I can't really say too many weaknesses, if any."

The amount of points that Norris has to gain on Verstappen every weekend was lower before the 2024 United States Grand Prix.

However, the triple World Champion extended his lead during the weekend in Austin, finishing ahead of the McLaren driver both in the sprint and Grand Prix race.

Although a ten-point swing from the following race in Mexico City helped Norris, it now wouldn't be enough, and he needs to gain even more. What will suit the 24-year-old driver is that Max Verstappen will likely have to take a five-place grid penalty for a new ICE (internal combustion engine).