Lando Norris has acknowledged that his championship aspirations against Max Verstappen in the 2024 Formula 1 season were unrealistic, despite mounting a mid-season challenge that briefly sparked title hopes.

After Verstappen dominated the early season with seven wins in the first ten races, Norris managed to reduce the gap to 47 points during a period where Verstappen went ten races without victory. However, a crucial win for Verstappen in wet conditions at Interlagos effectively sealed the championship.

"I was never close enough to Max," Norris admitted at the FIA Prize Giving in Rwanda. "We tried for as long as possible, but anyone thinking I could win was probably being unrealistic."

McLaren's season ended on a high note, with Norris winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to secure the constructors' championship. Team CEO Zak Brown praised both Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri for their contributions to the team's success, particularly in their close battle with Ferrari.

Team Principal Andrea Stella, celebrating his first constructors' championship in charge, highlighted the remarkable turnaround from the team's struggles at the start of the 2023 season. "This championship means taking McLaren to success after 26 years," Stella noted. "We evolved from having zero points last year after the first couple of races to scoring 666 points and becoming world champions."

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