Credits: IMAGO / HochZwei

Lando Norris is the closest he’s ever been to winning a championship. However, despite being in prime position to win races with the fastest car on the track, he’s only won two. If the reigning world champion Max Verstappen was in equal machinery, he would’ve as many as six races by now. Ex-F1 driver Christijan Albers shared this opinion while criticizing the Brit for his inconsistency.

As quoted by De Telegraaf, Albers said, “I am curious to see how things continue at McLaren, now that team boss Andrea Stella has finally indicated that Lando Norris has an edge. But Norris has to force it himself. He does not perform nearly as consistently as Verstappen. At McLaren they don’t optimize, that’s the big problem.”

“Norris has only won two races, in Miami and at Zandvoort. Had Verstappen been in that car, he would have won at least six.”, he added.

Verstappen has more than proved his mettle with his consistent performance in the past two seasons. The Dutchman won a whopping 34 races out of 44 in the two seasons combined. He also showcased his superior race craft by winning in Canada and Spain this season amid Red Bull’s struggles. In a slightly improved RB20, Verstappen can tip the scales in his favor despite being on the back foot of late.

It’s no secret Norris has also been inconsistent and the McLaren man is aware of his shortcomings. This is exactly why McLaren will now prioritize him in the upcoming races to increase his chances of winning the drivers’ championship. However, the 24-year-old doesn’t want a helping hand for a better result at his teammate’s expense.

Norris doesn’t want to beg for priority to increase his championship-winning chances

McLaren faced plenty of backlash even in Monza for not taking a bold stance favoring Norris over Oscar Piastri. Many experts called out the ‘Papaya Rules’ and highlighted how this will end up costing the Brit’s shot at glory. However, the 24-year-old is against the idea of being helped by his team or teammate in his championship charge and wants to win it on his merit.

As quoted by BBC, he said, “I don’t want to be given a championship. It’s not how I want to win a championship. I want to win it by fighting against Max and beating Max, beating my competitors, and proving I’m the best on track. That’s how I want to race.”

It’s easy to see where the Brit’s coming from. Covering a 62-point deficit from a maximum available 232 points in the remaining eight races sounds like an easily attainable target. However, this is where Norris’ inconsistency can hamper his chances. It will take a mammoth effort from the Brit or something completely weird for the Dutchman to lose out on his title.