Lando Norris, the current Formula 1 world champion, still possesses the tools to engineer a dramatic resurgence and hold onto his drivers’ title, according to Sky Sports F1 analyst David Croft. Norris secured his and McLaren’s inaugural victory of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, trimming the gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli to 91 points as the calendar reaches the midway point, with eleven of the twenty‑three scheduled rounds already completed. The decisive nature of the Hungarian win, achieved after McLaren introduced a substantial aerodynamic upgrade package for the Hungaroring, has sparked optimism that the Woking‑based team may have cemented its place among the front‑runners. The performance suggests that the British driver could once again become a genuine contender for the title.
During the most recent episode of Sky Sports’ The F1 Show podcast, Croft highlighted a single, pivotal question: can McLaren sustain the momentum and continue to out‑perform Antonelli’s Mercedes outfit? 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 will it pay off again?” Croft believes the Constructors’ Championship remains wide open and that the Drivers’ Championship is far from decided. “The Constructors’ title is still very much up for grabs,” he said. “The Drivers’ title – I don’t think Lando is so far behind that he can’t claw back the deficit.” He added a personal note about his own schedule, noting that he has not even taken a holiday yet and is eager to return to the action at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort. “I don’t want a three‑week break; I want the racing thick and fast!” One of McLaren’s Achilles’ heels this season has been its struggle to extract maximum performance from the Mercedes power unit that powers its cars.
The Silver Arrows have historically been more adept at exploiting the engine’s potential. Since Hungary is a circuit that places relatively modest demands on the power unit, some observers wonder whether McLaren’s strong showing can be replicated on more power‑hungry tracks.
Croft, however, pointed out that the Hungaroring shares certain characteristics with Monaco, a venue where Mercedes managed to claim victory in early June. He explained, “We’re eleven 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 reflected on past performance, noting that McLaren had finished one‑two in Budapest for the previous two seasons, so the Hungarian result was not entirely unexpected. “It was a little surprise given how strong Mercedes were in Monaco,” Croft said.
“That might be driver‑specific – Kimi was exceptional that weekend – but I don’t think Mercedes are necessarily weak at a track like Budapest.” What excites Croft most is the prospect of a tighter championship battle. “What delighted me was the stronger competition to the championship leaders. We want to see this championship go right to the wire because that’s way more fun, and McLaren’s upgrade worked,” he remarked. “They’ve taken their time this year to play catch‑up, but they are now catching up, I think.
The signs were there 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.” 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 is confident that Norris still has ample opportunity to turn the tide. Collins emphasized that the season will be defined by upgrades and the ability to extract the maximum from both chassis and engine.
“It’s going to be about who can get on top of these cars, who can get the best out of the engines,” he said on The F1 Show. “We’ve completed eleven rounds and have twelve more to go, so there are still lots and lots of points on the board.” Historical context reinforces the notion that a mid‑season comeback is possible. Last year, Max Verstappen trailed championship leader Oscar Piastri by 104 points with nine races left, yet he fought back to finish just two points behind the eventual champion, Norris.
That precedent underscores how quickly the points landscape can shift. Collins added, “We saw McLaren this weekend 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 it’s still all to play for.
You’ve basically got three cars – maybe Verstappen as well – in that fight, and who knows who will be at the front week in, week out. That’s really interesting to watch.” The Formula 1 calendar will resume after the summer hiatus with a sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled for August 21‑23. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, and viewers can stream the coverage via NOW with no contract and the option to cancel at any time. In summary, while Norris currently trails Antonelli by a sizable margin, the combination of McLaren’s recent upgrade, a better grasp of the Mercedes power unit, and a championship that still has over a dozen races left means that the title fight is far from settled.
If McLaren can maintain its upward trajectory and capitalize on any slip‑ups from rival teams, Norris could very well mount a credible challenge and keep his championship hopes alive as the season races toward its dramatic conclusion.