By: Lando Norris' victory at Zandvoort prompts an unavoidable reflection after 12 rounds. Last season, the Briton found himself at the centre of ruthless criticism: inconsistent performances, a reserved attitude towards the media, and a world title dismissed by many as a mere stroke of luck, made possible only by the overwhelming superiority of the MCL39. Well, that lost and insecure driver no longer exists.
In his place is a self-assured champion, capable of leading his team towards ever more ambitious results. His comparison with Oscar Piastri this season speaks for itself: the Briton has scored as many as 159 points, compared with 104 for the Australian who, reliability issues aside, has yet to find the same connection with the #1 car.
Is the world championship really possible?
Norris in action at Zandvoort - Cover photo by Luca Martini / WHYOUT Images
The arrival of the new upgrades at Spa has further elevated his performances, helping him string together two consecutive victories and deliver a pace with which he can fight the direct competition. The MCL40's weaknesses have not entirely disappeared and there is still plenty of room for improvement, but compared with the start of the season, the steady progress is clear for all to see. While the base was already solid thanks to the Mercedes power unit, the major work under way at Woking on the aerodynamic and chassis fronts has not gone unnoticed.
After these two successes came the first suggestions of a possible climb in the world championship standings, following in the footsteps of what Max Verstappen achieved last season. Norris, confirming his maturity, responded to the subject with great clarity: "I take it one race at a time. At the moment, I do not have a car with which I can think about fighting for the championship. After last year, I know the level at which I can drive, I know what I need from the car. If we improve in the slow corners, I can win them all too."
The figures show that from the Barcelona GP to the Dutch GP just contested, the #1 has been the driver to have scored the most points: a quiet rise that is now obvious even to the least attentive. Perhaps we owe Lando Norris an apology: a driver who has become a champion and is showing, race after race, that he fully deserves this title. And who knows whether he can really have his say in the second half of the season.
