George Russell’s surprise victory at the Austrian Grand Prix only strengthened Max Verstappen’s status as the big favourite for the 2024 Formula 1 title.
Verstappen dominated much of the race on Sunday, until a bad pit stop put Lando Norris within reach. As Norris chased Verstappen for the final 20 laps of the race, he was able to repeatedly try to take the lead thanks to the DRS advantage he had behind Verstappen.
Norris knew he had to be aggressive. That desperation finally reared its ugly head on lap 64 of the 71-lap race, when the two drivers collided in Turn 3.
The contact resulted in punctures for both drivers, with Russell taking the lead as they limped back to the pits. But Norris bore the brunt of the contact with Verstappen and had to retire his car a lap later. Verstappen, meanwhile, was able to finish fifth and extend his points lead over Norris.
Versappen now has an 81 point lead over Norris during the first 11 races of the 84-race season. Yes, Verstappen has not won more races this season (four) than in all of 2023 (three). But it’s hard to see Norris, or anyone else, being able to challenge Verstappen for the championship.
Norris won pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix a week ago, but lost positions to both Russell and Verstappen at the start before finishing second behind Verstappen. After that race, Norris said he had to be perfect to beat Verstappen. And that sentiment applies even more after Austria.
Verstappen won Saturday’s sprint race before taking pole for Sunday’s main event in Spielberg. And even though his car wasn’t a fan of the hard tires, he still had the fastest vehicle during the race. If it weren’t for the slow pit stop, Norris barely had a chance at victory.
But that slow pit stop is an example of what it takes to beat Red Bull and Verstappen in Formula 1. It’s incredibly difficult to beat them head-to-head. If Verstappen and Red Bull don’t make mistakes, they are almost impossible to beat.
After Sunday’s race, Norris expressed his displeasure with the way Verstappen was racing him before they made contact. Verstappen knew that Norris had a speed advantage on the straights thanks to his drag reduction system on the straights and that he was aggressively defending his line. Norris thought Verstappen was too aggressive, while Verstappen radioed his team during the race that he also thought Norris was too aggressive.
It was a kind of battle that was largely missing over the past two seasons as Verstappen dominated Grands Prix on a weekly basis. It was fun to watch it unfold, and the surprise winner was a nice aspect too — even though Russell got a huge gift.
Mercedes’ second win since 2021 is a big boost for the team after struggling to get to grips with the car since the start of the 2022 season. The team has made some serious strides in recent weeks, but it is clear that Red Bull and McLaren are still the two fastest teams on the grid at the moment.
Norris is a worthy challenger for Verstappen and he will probably win another race or three before the season is over unless McLaren has a serious dip in form. But it will cost a lot for Verstappen to give up a three-race points lead. And it’s really, really hard to imagine that happening.
