Lando Norris wasn't ready for a title battle against Max Verstappen, according to former McLaren driver

Former McLaren driver, Gerhard Berger, felt that Lando Norris wasn't ready for a title battle against Max Verstappen in 2024. The season began with Red Bull continuing its dominant form. That form saw the Dutch driver continue to win all but one race until the F1 circus reached Miami.

In Miami, McLaren brought its first major upgrade, and all of a sudden, the car was on par with what Red Bull had to offer. From that point onwards, until the end of the season, on average, Verstappen had a slower car under him compared to Lando Norris, who ended up becoming his primary title rival.

As soon as this happened, off-court and on-court tensions between the two drivers increased. Norris and Verstappen collided in Austria. It compromised the race for both drivers. What followed was a season where Verstappen was more measured in how he approached each race.

This ended up helping him win the title. Lando Norris, on the other side, was a bit circumspect and unsure, as he never expected to fight for the title in 2024 and hence, made a few mistakes.

Talking about the failed campaign of the McLaren driver, Berger told AMuS that this was arguably a result of the driver just not being ready to fight for the title. He said:

"I think Norris wasn't ready for the title in a duel with Verstappen. Maybe McLaren and its car became the winning team a little too late. Basically, Norris does a very good job. He is an extremely talented driver. People try to interpret his mistakes as mental weakness. But let's remember. Verstappen also made his mistakes at the beginning. With experience this became less and less. That will also happen with Norris."

Berger on the dilemma Lando Norris faced against Max Verstappen

When questioned if Lando Norris could have just done what his teammate Oscar Piastri did against Max Verstappen i.e. be a bit more aggressive, Berger explained the dilemma that the Brit faced. If a driver is fine with having a crash, at that time, one has to keep in mind what would be the aftermath so that the driver would not be on the losing end.

Pointing out Verstappen as the one who calculates this brilliantly, Berger said:

"That's a double-edged sword. This hardship can be an advantage or a disadvantage. If you are also kicked out, you will lose your points at the end of the year. And you haven't gained anything. The multiple world champions usually act cleverly. As a driver, you have to be able to estimate who will fly if you stop."

He added:

"Verstappen is usually right. He has an absolute overview of how he has to position himself, whether outside or inside, where it works and where it doesn't. That comes from karting and sim racing. He has already experienced the different scenarios x times in the simulator."

Lando Norris will head to the 2025 F1 season with the hope of potentially fighting for the title again and this time around, winning it as well.