Lando Norris insists Max Verstappen would not have won this year’s Formula 1 world championship if he was driving a McLaren.
Norris saw his title hopes disintegrate at the last race in Brazil when Verstappen produced one of his best-ever drives to claim victory from 17th on the grid in wet conditions.
With 62 points separating the pair with three races to go, Red Bull’s Verstappen will win his fourth consecutive F1 title if he finishes above McLaren’s Norris at this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
British driver Norris has received some criticism for his starts and other missed opportunities this season but responded firmly when questioned on whether Verstappen would have triumphed this year in his own car.
“No, definitely not,” he told The Telegraph, when asked if Verstappen would have won the title driving for McLaren.
“I mean, no one ever in the history of Formula One has come back from the size of deficit I had. No one. Ever.
“And there have been much bigger swings of performance of cars in the past than there has been now.
Norris was as far back as 84 points after Silverstone in July but slowly narrowed the gap after wins in Zandvoort and Singapore.
Yet Verstappen, who won four of the opening five races, ultimately built up too much of a lead and is now the firm favourite to seal the drivers’ title.
“The advantage they [Red Bull] had in the beginning of the season over everyone was way more than we’ve had,” Norris added.
“I think if it was any other driver, well not any other driver, but if it wasn’t Max and Red Bull, I think the chances [of winning the title] would have been much higher.”
McLaren can, however, win the constructors’ championship for the first time in 26 years. The papaya are in first place, 36 points clear of Ferrari in second.
