Why Norris Still Has a Shot at Keeping His F1 Crown

Lando Norris, the current world champion, still has a realistic chance of mounting a dramatic comeback to defend his Formula 1 drivers' title, according to Sky Sports F1 analyst David Croft. Norris secured 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 as the sport heads into its summer hiatus with 11 of the 23 scheduled races already completed. The dominant nature of the Hungarian victory, achieved after McLaren introduced a substantial aerodynamic upgrade package for the Hungaroring, has sparked optimism that the Woking‑based team may have finally cemented its place among the race‑winning contenders.

The win also fuels speculation that Norris could re‑enter the title fight if the momentum continues. During the most recent episode of Sky Sports' "The F1 Show" podcast, Croft highlighted a key question: can McLaren sustain the performance edge over Antonelli's Mercedes throughout the remainder of the calendar?

He asked, "One of the big things coming out of the summer break, can McLaren carry this on? Are they going to put their eggs in a Lando Norris basket?

And is it going to come up trumps once again?" Croft believes the Constructors' Championship remains wide open and that the Drivers' title is still within reach for Norris. "The Constructors' Championship, I think, is still very much up for grabs. The Drivers' Championship, I don't think Lando is that far behind that he can't make up a deficit," he said. He added, with a grin, that he hasn't even taken a holiday yet and is eager to get back to racing at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, preferring a packed schedule to a long break.

One of McLaren's persistent challenges this season has been extracting maximum performance from the Mercedes‑supplied power unit. While Mercedes has historically leveraged the engine package more effectively, the relatively low‑downforce nature of the Hungaroring meant the power‑unit factor was less decisive, leaving some observers uncertain whether McLaren can reproduce the Hungarian form on more demanding circuits. Croft, however, pointed out that the Hungaroring shares certain characteristics with Monaco, a track where Mercedes still managed a win earlier in June. "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," he observed.

He noted that McLaren's one‑two finish in Budapest was not a surprise given their strong performances there over the past two seasons, even if Mercedes appeared dominant at Monaco. The analyst praised the upgrade package, saying it has finally allowed McLaren to close the gap to the front‑running teams. "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.

And I think the signs were there right from the start as Lando built up the pace into the weekend that this was a good upgrade, they had the pace, and they were ready to challenge Mercedes." There remains uncertainty about whether the remaining 12 races will all proceed as planned due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Nevertheless, Sky Sports F1 commentator Bernie Collins remains optimistic that Norris has ample opportunity to turn the tide. "I think this year is going to be about upgrades," Collins said on the podcast. "It's going to be 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 sets, 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 swing when Max Verstappen, trailing champion Oscar Piastri by 104 points with nine races left, fought back to finish just two points shy of the title winner, Norris. That precedent underscores how quickly fortunes can change in F1. He added, "We've seen 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. So, I think that it's still all to play for.

I think you've pretty much got three cars, maybe Verstappen as well in that fight, that I think who knows as we go through later races who will be at the front week in, week out. And that's really interesting to watch." The championship will resume after the summer break with a sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21‑23, with every session broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.

Fans can stream the coverage via NOW, with no long‑term contract required, and stay updated through the Sky Sports WhatsApp channel and The F1 Show podcast.