While I don’t usually like to speak about the future when it comes to sports, it looks like Lando Norris (McLaren) is well on his way to winning the World Championship. Previously, the four drivers still in contention were Norris, Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and George Russell (Mercedes). Though it is widely thought that Russell is an amazing driver, unfortunately he is no longer in contention for this year. Now, it’s down to Norris, Piastri and Verstappen for the win.
In 2021, fans were treated to a heated battle between Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari, then Mercedes) and Verstappen in the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi. This year, it seems like fans will get to experience this for the first time since then. This is the first year since 2022 where someone other than Verstappen has been dominant enough to legitimately contend for the championship. Norris was viewed as a slight competitor last season, but never enough to fully challenge Verstappen for the title.
It currently seems that there is a multi-way battle to the finish. It also doesn’t seem like the championship will be decided before the last race, so it’s shaping up to be a very interesting Abu Dhabi race. From an outside perspective, it seems like this is Lando’s race to lose. While Piastri seemed strong in the beginning, recent races have shown that he may not be fully ready this year. This is only his third season, so he has plenty of time to win more championships in the future. Verstappen is the current four-time, reigning champion, so clearly Norris has some big shoes to fill.
Throughout the past couple races, Verstappen has been slowly climbing in points and podiums, getting closer and closer to Piastri. Looking forward, there seems to be equal opportunity for anyone to win. It’s going to be an interesting Las Vegas race!
