Category: Lando Norris

Chasing Legends or Cheating Legacy? Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and the Fight for a Fair Championship.

Skye Collacott WilliamsonLeave a comment

Jenson Button fought against all odds, against the voices that implored he would never make it. He dragged his car to the finish line, and after years of trying, he finally achieved his dream of winning a Championship.

Aryton Senna destroyed himself, his limbs, and his car to become World Champion to the point he could not even hold a trophy above his head. He lost his life chasing Michael Schumacher for the World Championship.

Lewis Hamilton’s parents worked multiple jobs to get him into karting, and Nico Rosberg tried to protect him from racially motivated bullying. Lewis Hamilton was the first Black driver in Formula One, he won nine consecutive podiums in his first nine races, tied Michael Schumacher’s WDC record, and faced adversity at every turn.

Nico Rosberg was determined to prove that he, too, was a World Champion Driver, not in the shadow of his best friend Lewis Hamilton. The man who could only eat the cereal they used to share the weekend leading up to him winning the World Championship.

Max Verstappen was the little boy the Formula One world tried to protect against his father, the youngest-ever driver to win a Grand Prix. A figure that dominated the 2022 season in the same flame as Michael Schumacher.

Oscar Piastri, a future World Champion, was unjustly given team orders to switch with McLaren’s first driver, Lando Norris. The man who dominated Formula 2 and reached the second-highest rookie points after Lewis Hamilton is his teammate in his sixth season. The driver who outperformed in his second season is his teammate in his sixth season.

It is not fair.

If Lando Norris cannot win a championship on his merit, he does not deserve one.

It is a blatant disrespect to past World Driver Champions who fought their entire career for the honour of holding the trophy, fought adversity throughout, and destroyed their cars and bodies to drag across the finish line.

McLaren ordered Oscar Piastri to swap with Lando Norris in the Brazil 2024 Sprint, a crucial race that could potentially determine the outcome of the championship.

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are fighting this championship in cars that could never compete with a McLaren.

Oscar Piastri has taken orders at his home race since the beginning of the 2024 season to switch with Lando Norris, his teammate at McLaren.

Oscar Piastri deserves a place in the fight for the championship.

Are FIA Penalties Consistent? Analysing the Verstappen Rule, Hamilton’s Experiences, and the Future of Formula One.

Skye Collacott WilliamsonLeave a comment

Max Verstappen was handed a twenty-second penalty during the Mexico Grand Prix 2024 for leading Lando Norris off the track with his defensive tactics.

This penalty follows a controversial five-second Lando Norris penalty in the Austin Grand Prix 2024.

After the Austin race, the FIA stewards rejected McLaren’s Right of Review Petition, concluding that Verstappen, as the defending driver, was not required to give Norris room to pass.

Max Verstappen has used this FIA grey area, a term used to describe the ambiguity in the rules that allows for interpretation, to his advantage his entire career.

Following the 2016 United States Grand Prix, the FIA clarified its rules regarding defensive driving, commonly called the Verstappen Rules.

These guidelines include:

  • No Moving Under Braking
  • Safe and Predictable Defence

An illustrative example of these rules being applied against Verstappen occurred during the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton executed a defensive manoeuvre against him.

The disparity in how these rules are enforced raises questions, particularly after Verstappen’s twenty-second penalty in Mexico. While some view the penalty as overly harsh, it also prompts speculation about potential agendas.

Following the contentious 2021 Championship, the FIA acknowledged human error in handling race regulations during the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The race director at the time, Michael Masi, was replaced after the late deployment of a safety car led to a disputed finish, significantly impacting the championship outcome of two drivers with 369.5 points.

The order of unlapping during this incident allowed Verstappen to close the large gap to Hamilton, leading to his dramatic final lap pass.

An additional lap with a safety car was not completed, nor was a complete unlapping.

Only five cars were able to unlap under the safety car.

Throughout the 2021 season, the FIA’s penalties played a pivotal role in the competitive and extremely aggressive landscape. A similar scenario unfolded at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where Hamilton overcame adversity to win. Had Verstappen faced penalties in Brazil akin to those issued in Mexico, the championship’s outcome could have been vastly different.

Max Verstappen’s unchecked aggression by the FIA would have cost Lewis Hamilton his life at Monza 2021 if not for the invention of the halo (followed by Jules Bianchi’s death in the 2015 Japanese Grand Prix).

This only resulted in a three-place grid penalty. In comparison, Pierre Galsy received a ten-place grid penalty for a new power unit, which almost every driver this season has gone over.

The complex relationship between the FIA and Lewis Hamilton has come under scrutiny, particularly regarding allegations of racial bias. As the first and only Black driver in Formula One, Hamilton’s success story has attracted both admiration and criticism, and the perception of differential treatment raises uncomfortable questions about the sport’s integrity.

Why, then, does Lando Norris receive this special treatment and not Lewis Hamilton?

Is there a desire to end Verstappen’s dominance in the same way as Hamilton’s dominance?

Or is there an underlying racial motivation for removing Lewis Hamilton’s eighth world title, which would have placed him above Michael Schumacher?

The FIA must provide clear and consistent guidelines on defensive driving. The Sport can not afford to have rules open to interpretation or manipulation to serve specific agendas.

Clear guidelines will ensure fair and transparent competition, reassuring fans and participants about the sport’s future.

The Monsequence of another Lando bottled pole: Can Charles Leclerc win the 2024 Championship?

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Data Visual created via Flourish by Skye Collacott Williamson.

The Monsequence of another Lando bottled pole: Can Charles Leclerc win the 2024 Championship?

Charles Leclerc, mathematically, is still in the hunt for the 2024 Drivers’ Championship.

Does the Ferrari driver have what it takes to stop the three-time consequential Champion?

With three race wins to his name this year, he’s overtaken Lando Norris, both in race victories for the season and total career wins. Yet, as impressive as that sounds, closing the gap to Max Verstappen remains daunting.

Charles Leclerc, Prince of Ferrari, is better known as the unluckiest man in Formula One. Ferrari’s infamous inconsistency plagues both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc.

Time and again, strategic blunders and pitstop errors have robbed him of victories, and nowhere is that more evident than his home race in Monaco.

Twice, Leclerc has qualified on pole in the streets where he grew up, only for Ferrari to squander his chance at victory with poor decisions.

Everything changed in this 2024 season with a historical moment.

The Monsequence: A Historic Home Win

After 70 years of waiting, Ferrari finally delivered in Monaco.

Charles Leclerc became the first Monegasque driver to win on home soil in Formula One history. The long-awaited victory broke a curse and reignited Leclerc’s championship hopes.

It was a symbolic win, not just for Leclerc but also for Ferrari, signalling that they might finally have the package to challenge Red Bull.

This week, Charles Leclerc further demonstrated his drive. He may not have the fastest car, but he is the fastest driver.

Leclerc overtook three cars in Lap 1 of the recent United States Grand Prix in Austin, despite Lando Norris on pole.

While the Mclaren has consistently shown speed, Lando has developed a reputation for faltering under pressure, as we saw earlier this season in Monza. In that race, Norris lost ground to Leclerc and his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri.

Leclerc’s path to the title is mathematically possible with six races remaining, but it’s an uphill battle.

The Path to Victory: What Needs to Happen

For Leclerc to win the championship, the following scenario must unfold:

  • Leclerc must finish 1st in all six remaining races.
  • Norris must finish 4th or lower in those races.
  • Verstappen must finish 5th or lower in the same span.

This is without consideration of DNFs, penalties, or fastest lap points, yet this is a big speculation. Verstappen has proven dominant despite Red Bull letting him down, and he won a sprint race in the Austin GP.

Leclerc, on the other hand, needs everything to go right—Ferrari strategies, including pitstop decisions and race tactics, reliability, and race execution all need to align perfectly.

The Reality: A Battle for Second

While a championship win remains improbable, Leclerc could still secure second place in the standings. His recent form suggests that he can surpass Norris in the final races, provided Ferrari doesn’t falter. Should Norris continue to stumble from the pole and Verstappen remain in a comfortable lead, the fight for runner-up could be where Leclerc shines.

Looking Ahead: 2025 and Beyond

Even if 2024 doesn’t end with a title, there is a glimmer of hope for the future. Speculations are rife about a potential Ferrari superteam in 2025, with the legendary seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton possibly teaming up with Leclerc.

If this materializes, Leclerc would not only benefit from Hamilton’s mentorship but could also find himself in a more competitive car, capable of consistently challenging for wins.

Maybe all the stars will align in 2025, Leclerc’s fortunes will change, and he will finally have the machinery and team dynamics to mount a serious challenge for the title.

And maybe Lando Norris will come third in the Max Verstappen v Lando Norris championship battle.