Charles Leclerc Triumphs at Italian Grand Prix While Max Verstappen Struggles Once More
F1 in 2024 has been unpredictable in the second half. Until June, Max was the favorite to win the title. However, Norris from McLaren has become the new contender.
In the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Charles Leclerc has been able to win another title. This year, he has won both the home races without much hassle.
So, now the question is who is going to win the championship. By looking at the points table, the gap between Max and Norris has reduced to a mere 62 points. So, it will be tough for Max to defend his title with still 8 races left in the calendar.
Ref. URL: https://c.ndtvimg.com/2024-09/aut9ttso_charles-leclerc-afp_625x300_01_September_24.jpg?im=FeatureCrop,algorithm=dnn,width=806,height=605
The performance of the Red Bull team has taken a hit after the departure of Adrian Newey. So, the speculations are also being made that the dip in performance is due to the departure. However, Max has denied the fact.
On the other hand, McLaren has been able to make the most of this situation. They have been able to establish themselves as the fastest team on the grid. Also, they are now chasing down the championship.
In the previous Dutch race, McLaren finished 1-2. So, they are now the new favorites as the constructor’s championship winner.
At Monza, McLaren also showcased a new tactic. They allowed Oscar to take the lead. It happened in spite of the fact that Lando was going to win the championship. They even allowed both of them to race each other. So, it will be interesting to see their approach in the upcoming races.
Their team has also hinted to support Norris in the title race. It has been done on the verge of the chances that Norris has after some brilliant performances in the last few races.
Apart from the top contenders, there has also been some steady performance from the Mercedes team. They have been able to finish within the top ten. They have also been able to finish 5th and 7th at Monza.
Similarly, at the Dutch Grand Prix, they finished 7th and 8th. So, they have been steady with their performance. However, their memorable era has faded in the last couple of years with Red Bull’s dominance.
On the other hand, Logan Seargeant of Williams has been axed for the rest of the season. He has been replaced by Franco Colapinto. It happened after Logan crashed at the Dutch circuit. However, he was not hurt in the incident.
In another development, Mercedes has also announced their successor of Lewis for the next season. It is the young Andrea Kimi Antonelli. He is going to succeed the legacy of Lewis in 2025. Now, it will be interesting to see how others respond to the challenges presented by McLaren. The papaya team has been able to make the most of the upgrades to the car. They have set pace records and also won races. Their team has seen both their drivers on the podium a couple of times this year.
