Lando Norris, the current Formula 1 world champion, still has a realistic shot at defending his drivers' title, according to Sky Sports F1 analyst David Croft. The British racer clinched his and McLaren’s first win of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, narrowing the gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli to 91 points. With the sport entering its summer hiatus after eleven of the twenty‑three scheduled rounds, the victory has injected fresh optimism into the McLaren camp and sparked speculation that Norris could re‑enter the title fight.
The Hungarian triumph was particularly striking because it came after McLaren introduced a substantial aerodynamic and mechanical upgrade package at the Hungaroring. The package appeared to unlock performance that had been missing earlier in the year, allowing Norris to dominate the race and finish well ahead of the Mercedes of Antonelli.
Croft highlighted this development on the latest episode of Sky Sports’ The F1 Show podcast, suggesting that the key question now is whether McLaren can sustain this momentum and continue to out‑pace the Silver Arrows throughout the remainder of the campaign. "One of the big things coming out of the summer break is: can McLaren carry this on? Are they going to put their eggs in a Lando Norris basket? And will it pay off again?" Croft asked.
He went on to stress that both championships remain very much open. "The Constructors' Championship is still very much up for grabs. The Drivers' Championship, I don’t think Lando is so far behind that he can’t make up the deficit," he said.
Croft’s enthusiasm was palpable, especially when he added, "I haven’t even taken a holiday yet. I can’t wait to get back to business at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.
I don’t want a three‑week break; I want the racing thick and fast!" McLaren’s Achilles heel this season has been the inability to extract maximum performance from the Mercedes power unit that powers their cars. While Mercedes has traditionally excelled at harnessing its engine’s potential, McLaren has lagged, which has been evident on power‑heavy circuits. Hungary, however, is one of the least demanding tracks in terms of outright engine output, leading some observers to wonder whether the Hungarian success can be replicated on more demanding venues.
Croft addressed this concern by drawing a parallel between the Hungaroring and the street circuit of Monaco. Both tracks are tight, technical, and place a premium on chassis balance and driver precision rather than pure horsepower.
He noted that Mercedes managed to win at Monaco in early June, indicating that the engine’s performance isn’t the sole determinant of success there. "We’re 11 races into the season now, and I think McLaren are understanding the power unit way better than they were at the start of the year," Croft explained. "Is it a surprise they did so well in Hungary? Well, on past form, no – they were one‑two for the last two years in Budapest.
It’s a little surprise given how strong Mercedes were in Monaco, but I don’t think the Mercedes are necessarily weak at a track like Budapest." What excites Croft the most is the prospect of a tighter championship battle. "What delighted me in terms of stronger competition to the championship leaders, and we want to see this championship go right to the wire because that’s way more fun, was that McLaren’s upgrade worked. They’ve taken their time this year to play catch‑up, but they are now catching up, I think. The signs were there right from the start as Lando built up the pace into the weekend – this was a good upgrade, they had the pace, and they were ready to challenge Mercedes," he said.
There remains uncertainty about whether all twelve of the remaining scheduled rounds will proceed as planned, given the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Nevertheless, Sky Sports F1’s Bernie Collins believes Norris still has ample opportunity to swing the momentum in his favour.
"I think this year is going to be about upgrades," Collins remarked on The F1 Show. "It’s about who can get on top of these cars, who can get the best out of the cars, the best out of the engines. At the moment, as the calendar stands, we’ve done 11 rounds; we’ve got 12 still to go.
So there’s still lots and lots of points on the board." Collins reminded listeners of last season’s dramatic comeback story. Max Verstappen trailed championship leader Oscar Piastri by 104 points with nine rounds left, yet he fought back to finish just two points behind Norris in the final standings.
That precedent underscores how quickly fortunes can change in Formula 1 when a team finds the right package and a driver seizes the moment. "We saw McLaren this weekend at least have a little bit of the upper hand.
And maybe Mercedes have been a bit distracted with each other in some of the earlier races as well," Collins added. "So I think it’s still all to play for. You’ve got three cars – maybe Verstappen as well – in that fight, and who knows as we go through later races who will be at the front week in, week out.
That’s really interesting to watch." The championship will resume after the summer break with a sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort from August 21‑23. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW with no long‑term contract.
As the calendar unfolds, the battle for both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles promises to intensify, and Lando Norris, backed by a rejuvenated McLaren, is poised to be a central figure in what could become one of the most thrilling second halves in recent F1 history.