Sky Sports: “The biggest thing” that cost Norris the title, according to Collins

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Bernie Collins, host of the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, talks about how Lando Norris and McLaren can get better for the upcoming season.

Bernie Collins has spilled the beans on what she calls “the biggest thing” that destroyed Lando Norris’s title hopes in his fight with Max Verstappen.

On Sunday, Norris’s chances of winning the Drivers’ Championship were nearly dashed as Max Verstappen won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from 17th place on the field, while the British driver finished sixth after regaining pole position.

The outcome saw Verstappen of Red Bull gain 62 points over Norris, who now has 86 points to play with in the last three races; hence, Norris would need a miraculous turn of events to offer him any chance of winning.

Since McLaren upgraded the car for the sixth race of the season in Miami, Norris has only managed three wins in sixteen grands prix, even though it seemed like he had a car capable of fighting for victory at nearly every event.

On Sunday at Interlagos, Verstappen gained track position thanks to a controversial decision to pit in the rain, but he blew another opportunity.

This indecision or lack of confidence between driver and pit wall has created hesitancy at key decisions at some stages in the year,” Collins, a former head of strategy at Aston Martin, said on the most recent episode of the Sky Sports F1 Podcast.

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Find out what went wrong for Lando Norris at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and why he didn’t win.

They’ll make an effort to fix that, and their relationship will become stronger with each passing year; by next year, he’ll feel better prepared.

Even if Russell didn’t have a particularly good start this week, McLaren will take a look at it again because starting in the rain is a whole other ballgame.

“So that will come, he’ll take a lot of time to reflect over the winter.”

The title fight in Brazil wasn’t a bust, Chandhok.

Norris has, without a doubt, had the grid’s most consistent car since Miami, but by then, Verstappen had already gained a substantial edge.

With victories in four of the season’s first five races, the Dutchman had a 52-point lead over Norris and appeared poised to win a fourth consecutive drivers’ championship.

Following Max Verstappen’s historic performance in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Karun Chandhok discusses whether or not Verstappen is the greatest wet-weather driver of all time.

Karun Chandhok debates whether Max Verstappen is the best wet-weather driver of all time after his incredible performance at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Karun Chandhok of Sky Sports F1 thinks Norris could never have “realistically” reduced the gap.

“I think realistically, they can be proud of the season he’s put together,” Chandhok said on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast.

On Sunday in Brazil, the championship race was still very much alive. Within the first five races, it was lost.

“Vertappen truly had this huge edge in the first five races of the season if you turn back the clock to that point. Quite similar to what Jenson Button showed us in 2009.

“On the whole, they can be pleased with the season they’ve had, they can be pleased with the points they’ve scored, but when you start 52 points behind coming into Miami, that’s where the championship was lost, not on Sunday in Brazil.”

The “hall of fame” triumph in Sao Paulo was driven by Max Verstappen “like Senna and Schumacher,” according to F1 NATION

This week on F1 Nation, Tom Clarkson is joined by F1 TV commentator Alex Jacques and Brazilian ex-driver Ricardo Rosset to analyse the chaotic Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Max Verstappen climbed from P17 to win his first race in eleven races after a masterclass in the rain.

Of Verstappen’s 62 race victories, was this the best? In spite of the perilous circumstances, how did he traverse the grid? Lando Norris, a title contender, couldn’t turn his pole position into a win. What gave? With only three races and one Formula One Sprint remaining in 2024, what does this imply for the drivers’ World Championship?

Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly join the podcast to talk about the significance of their incredible double podium finish and how they overcame the rain. Team principal Oliver Oakes also stops by to discuss the implications of this result for Alpine following a difficult season in Formula One.

Aside from that, Tom, Alex, and Ricardo talk about how George Russell, Yuki Tsunoda, and Liam Lawson had good weekends, while Lewis Hamilton and Williams had terrible ones.

Press play on the player up top or click here to listen to the most recent episode on your chosen podcasting platform to get the latest on all the major talking points from race weekend.

Max Verstappen fires out at critics after closing in on another title with victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix, with the Dutchman outraged by comments from Damon Hill and other British ex-drivers

Verstappen took a significant step towards retaining his F1 world title at Interlagos.

The Dutchman’s triumph all but ruined Lando Norris’ hopes of claiming his crown.

Max Verstappen shattered Lando Norris’ world championship dreams and attacked his perceived detractors in the British media.

The Dutchman, who has previously stated that he has the ‘wrong passport’ for Formula One, came from 17th on the grid to win the rainy Brazilian Grand Prix. The stunning victory put him 62 points ahead of Norris, with only 86 points remaining.

Verstappen held the required news conference an hour or so after his victory at Interlagos.

He has been upset by recent comments from Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion and Sky pundit, who referred to him as Dick Dastardly from Wacky Races, and Johnny Herbert, the 1995 British Grand Prix winner, a former Sky pundit and now an FIA race steward, who stated that Verstappen can have a ‘horrible mindset’ while driving.

Herbert, to be fair, hailed the defending champion’s outstanding skills, but the Briton gave Verstappen the feeling that he was out to get him. That notion was strengthened by the FIA’s issuance of two 10-second penalties in Mexico a week ago, while Herbert was functioning as driver steward.

Hill accused Verstappen of not playing fair in his bid to retain his world title once again

Verstappen stated yesterday: “I have a quick question here.” I mean, I appreciate everyone being here, but I don’t see any British reporters!

“Do they have to run to the airport, or do they not know where the press conference is?”

Pierre Gasly, Alpine’s third-place finisher, was there on stage for the media call and laughed, saying, ‘That’s a fair question.’

Verstappen, who can defend his title in Las Vegas on November 23, told Mail Sport ahead of the British Grand Prix in July: “Eighty to 85 percent of the press in F1 is English.” So you have such a powerful energy with that. In the back of their minds, most would prefer their national driver to perform well or, in the event of an incident, instinctively support their countryman.

‘Most ex-drivers are British, so it’s a one-sided affair.’

Lando Norris (left) made several mistakes at Interlagos but was defended by his team boss

Norris made multiple mistakes in Interlagos, including losing the lead from pole position and twice running off the track. However, he was supported by his McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella, who stated: “From the outside, it may appear that there were errors. When you lock the tyres of a car, like he did today, I don’t look at the driver; I look at why the automobile keeps locking the tyre.

‘The constructors’ championship has always been our top priority, so this changes nothing.

‘When it came to the drivers’ championship, I don’t think Lando felt any more pressure. This quest was enjoyable for us. Mathematically, we remain in the championship. For Lando and Oscar (Piastri), we’ll strive to win the following races.