Source – RacingNews365.com
Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Max Verstappen are just a few of the elite F1 members that Lando Norris has the opportunity to join.
Lando Norris is poised to carve his name into the history books in 2024, as he aims to become one of the rare few drivers to win their first Formula 1 race and world title in the same season. The feat is nearly legendary in the sport, with only five drivers ever managing to achieve it, the last being Keke Rosberg in 1982. Now, with six races remaining and a 52-point gap behind championship leader Max Verstappen, Norris stands at the brink of something extraordinary.
Norris’ maiden victory came at the Miami Grand Prix, where he finally broke through after years of close calls and podium finishes. It was the moment that signaled his readiness to take on the sport’s elite. But with the clock ticking and 180 points left in the balance, Norris knows that every race will be crucial if he wants to overhaul the reigning champion, Verstappen, and secure his first world title in the same season he claimed his first victory.
What makes this challenge even more intriguing is the historical rarity of it all. Only five drivers have managed to win their first race and championship in the same year, and none have done so in over four decades. Those drivers—Giuseppe Farina, Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Denny Hulme, and Keke Rosberg—have cemented their places in the annals of F1, and Norris could be next. If he pulls it off, he will not only become the sixth driver to achieve this remarkable double but also Britain’s 11th world champion.
However, Norris isn’t the only one chasing this piece of history. His McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, also has a mathematical chance to pull off the double, though he faces a steeper mountain to climb. Piastri sits 94 points behind Verstappen and 42 points adrift of Norris, making his path to victory far more challenging, though not impossible.
For Norris, the stakes are clear. Should he manage to claim the title, it will mark a monumental achievement not just for him, but for McLaren as well, a team hungry to return to the top of the sport. The last driver to win a world championship for the Woking-based outfit was Lewis Hamilton in 2008. Since then, the team’s fortunes have ebbed and flowed, but Norris’ rise could spark a resurgence reminiscent of McLaren’s golden years.
The odds, however, may not be in his favor. Statistically, a driver’s second season after their first grand prix win is significantly more likely to produce a world championship. The legendary Jochen Rindt is a prime example of this. The Austrian secured his first victory in 1969 and tragically became F1’s only posthumous world champion in 1970 after a fatal crash during practice at Monza. His legacy is a reminder of both the highs and devastating lows the sport can offer.
For Norris, the immediate goal is clear: close the gap to Verstappen and fight for every point available in the final six races. The chance to join an exclusive club of drivers who won their first race and championship in the same season is within reach, but the road to glory will require nothing short of perfection.
As the season hurtles toward its dramatic conclusion, all eyes will be on Norris. Can he defy the odds and make 2024 the year of his coronation, or will Verstappen maintain his iron grip on the championship? The answer lies in the twists and turns of the remaining races, and in Norris’ ability to rise to the occasion when it matters most.
