Bernie Collins has revealed what he believes is “the biggest thing” to cost Lando Norris in his title bid against Max Verstappen.
Norris’ hopes of a young Drivers’ Championship ended on Sunday as Verstappen came from 17th on the grid to win the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, while the Briton pulled back from pole position to finish sixth.
The result saw Red Bull’s Verstappen clear Norris by 62 points with just 86 points available with three rounds remaining, meaning exceptional conditions were needed to give the McLaren driver any real hope.
Although it seems that the car can challenge for victory in almost every race since McLaren brought an upgrade for the sixth round of the season in Miami, Norris has claimed only three wins in 16 grand prix since.
The latest missed opportunity came on Sunday at Interlagos, where a questionable call to pit in the rain allowed Verstappen to gain track position.
Talk about the latest episode of Sky Sports F1 PodcastFormer head of strategy Aston Martin Collins said: “The biggest thing for me seems to be the indecision or lack of trust between the drivers and the pit wall which has caused doubt in some decisions at some point in the year.
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Take a closer look at what went wrong for Lando Norris that led to his chaotic Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory.
“They will work hard and every year their relationship will improve, they will be more confident next year.
“Starting to look better, maybe not explicitly this week with Russell out of line, but McLaren will look again, very different in wet conditions.
“So it will come, he will have a lot of time to think in the winter.”
Listen to the latest episode in full to hear Bernie Collins and Karun Chandhok analyze Max Verstappen’s stunning victory and shock second podium for Alpine. Subscribe now at: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Spreader
Chandhok: Unbeaten title fight in Brazil
While Norris has certainly had the most consistent car on the grid since Miami, by then he had given Verstappen a significant advantage.
The Dutchman, who will go for his fourth consecutive drivers’ title, won four of the first five races of the season to open up a 52-point advantage over Norris.
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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.
Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok believes Norris is not “realistically” going to close the deficit.
“I’m realistic, they can be proud of the future they put together,” Chandhok said Sky Sports F1 Podcast.
“The championship fight is undefeated on Sunday in Brazil. It lost the first five races.
“If you turn the clock back to the opening five races of the season, Verstappen really has this big advantage. It’s very reminiscent of what we saw from Jenson Button in 2009.
“Overall, he can be happy with the season he’s had, he can be happy with the points he’s scored, but when you start 52 points behind Miami, that’s where the championship is lost, not on Sunday. in Brazil.”
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