Max Verstappen receives ’20 per cent’ chance F1 2024 title verdict after crushing Norris display

Dutch pundit Tom Coronel is feeling the stress of the F1 2024 title race, fearing the odds favour Lando Norris over Max Verstappen in an “80/20” split.

Norris delivered a crushing blow to the reigning World Champion at the Singapore Grand Prix as he took the chequered flag 21 seconds ahead to slash Verstappen’s lead in the standings to 52 points.

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It’s not so much the gap in the standings that has Red Bull worried, but Norris’ pace on the track.

Although Norris won the Grand Prix by 21 seconds ahead of Verstappen , he was 30s ahead before backing off in the final laps to ensure the victory.

“Lando’s dominance was alien,” Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko told Formel.de , “especially on the medium tyres – he took nine-tenths to one second per lap from us… it’s a whole new world.”

The Marina Bay victory, which was Norris’ second in four races, meant he has taken points off Verstappen in every race since F1 returned from the summer break. Verstappen’s lead is down to 52 points.

It has Dutch pundit Coronel concerned that the tide has turned in the championship, especially as McLaren can use Oscar Piastri to help Norris.

“Worse!” he told RacingNews365 . “I say 80/20 for Norris.

“Not that he will close the entire gap in one go, but the difference between the cars is really too big at the moment. I would have trouble sleeping.”

“I’m stressed about it,” he added. “Because I can just see that the other cars are faster. And because Max has squeezed the most out of him, because no one would have dared to dream of a P2, Max included.

“Only the gap is too big. For me it’s about the gap, not about the position.

“The McLaren is so much faster and Piastri is also in front. So if you have a McLaren 1-2 and he is three, maybe four, then it’s going to hurt seriously.”

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Verstappen still has one point in his favour, in fact it’s 52, a lead that Norris will struggle to overturn in six races as all Verstappen has to do is finish runner-up and he’ll retain the World title by a single point.

It does, however, mean one slip up and things and everything could change.

“He can’t have any bad luck! Only then will it be okay,” Coronel said.

Pointed out to him that also applies to Norris, he added: “Yes, but in Azerbaijan you saw that he can drive all the way from the back to the front. If you are in a faster car, you can always make up for it in the race. Always.”

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