Catch up on 52 points in six Grands Prix, has that already been achieved?

F1 2024 – Six Grands Prix to contest and a gap of 52 points to make up on Max Verstappen (Red Bull), the leader of the general classification. This is the immense challenge that Lando Norris (McLaren) awaits to deprive the Dutchman of a fourth consecutive coronation and to offer himself, at almost 25 years old, a first world champion title.

On average, this amounts to closing a gap of more than eight points per race weekend. In the event of victory in the last six Grand Prix, the three remaining sprint races and recovering all the points for the best lap in the race, Lando Norris would score, at a minimum, 51 points more than Max Verstappenif the latter ranks second in each race.

In other words, the driver McLaren does not have his destiny in his hands. As fast as he is, he must hope for a failure from his Dutch rival who, for his part, must “simply” rank just behind the car marked number 4 if he wishes to keep his crown.

With the current points scale, no driver has made up such a gap

The results of previous seasons do not argue in favor of Lando Norris. Since 2010 and the establishment of the current points scale, where victory is worth 25 points and the first ten are rewarded, no driver has managed to become world champion after accumulating 52 points late at six Grands Prix of the term.

In the game of turnarounds, the palme d’or goes to Sebastian Vettel during the 2010 season. A breathtaking championship until the last Grand Prix, at the start of which four drivers were still fighting for the world champion title.

The young German driver was still 31 points behind the leader Lewis Hamiltonat the dawn of the last six Grands Prix of the season. Sebastian Vettel was in third place in the general classification with 151 points, ahead of the future seven-time world champion and Mark Webber. With respectively 182 and 179 points on the clock, the two English-speaking drivers seemed set to compete for the world title.

But the twists of fate and the emerging talent of the German pilot reshuffled the cards. Lewis Hamilton chained two abandonments to Monza and Singapore, Mark Webber failed to find the path to victory and Sebastian Vettel won twice, in Japan and Brazil. Author of a thunderous end to the season, Fernando Alonso came to join the fight thanks to his three victories acquired in Italy, Singapore and South Korea. Before the final round of this 2010 season, the order in the general classification was completely turned upside down. Lewis Hamilton had fallen to fourth place, Alonso occupied first place and Mark Webber the second. Sebastian Vettelhe remained in ambush in third place. He was now only 15 points behind the championship lead, now occupied by the Spanish driver.

Fifteen points that Sebastian Vettel managed to erase on the outline of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prixlast act of the season. Imperial throughout the weekend, Sebastian Vettel started on pole and retained his place until the checkered flag. Behind, Fernando Alonsowho started third and whose fifth place was enough for him to win a third crown, was trapped by the pit stop game. New tires fitted, the driver Ferrari came out in eleventh position, behind a Vitaly Petrov that he was unable to overtake. Blocked in the exhausts of the Renault from the Russian pilot, Fernando Alonso remained like this until the checkered flag and saw the laurels fly away. Landing on the head of a gifted German who, at 23, became the youngest world champion in the history of F1.

From 31 points behind to six Grands Prix at the end of this 2010 season, Sebastian Vettel won with four points ahead of Fernando Alonso. Thirty-five points won in the last six rounds, no other driver has won the title in such a way since the 25-point victory era.

F1 Singapore GP 2024: Lando Norris wins with incredible pace

SINGAPORE F1 GP — Remaining in the lead after his pole start, Lando Norris (McLaren) took a victory in the streets of Singapore. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) was unable to do anything against the Briton’s pace. Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) finished outside the points.

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In 1981, Nelson Piquet achieved a similar feat

If no driver has managed, with the current points scale, to make up for a deficit of 52 points six Grands Prix before the end of the season, the feat that must be achieved Lando Norris is comparable to that of Nelson Piquetin 1981.

At 29, the Brazilian driver won the first of his three coronations at the end of a dazzling end to the season. With six Grands Prix remaining, Nelson Piquet was still 17 points behind the Argentinian Carlos Reutemann (43 – 26). The two drivers totaled two victories each, but Nelson Piquet paid for his four retirements in nine Grand Prix. Carlos Reutemannhe had experienced such a mishap only once.

The situation was reversed during the last six Grand Prix. Nelson Piquet finished all the final races of the season in the top six, with one victory and two podiums. Carlos Reutemannhe gave up twice and only climbed on the box once. On the balance sheet, the Brazilian won his first world title by a small point ahead Carlos Reutemann (50-49). Nelson Piquet had scored 18 more points in the last six Grand Prix, at a time when victory was worth nine points and only the first six were rewarded.

Using the current points scale, the feat of Nelson Piquet is equivalent to what must be achieved Lando Norris to seek a first world crown. With six Grands Prix remaining, the Brazilian driver would also have fallen 52 points behind Carlos Reutemann.

During the last six rounds of this 1981 season, Nelson Piquet would have gleaned 86 points with the new scale, ranking 1^e3^e2^e6^e5^e and again 5^e of the last six races. Carlos Reutemannhe paid for his two retirements and would have only collected 31 points.

Thanks to the current scale, Nelson Piquet would thus have scored 55 points more than his rival during the last six rounds. Enough to win and get ahead of the driver Williams by 3 points (167 against 164, if we apply the new scale) in the general classification.

The challenge that awaits Lando Norris is therefore not unrealizable and Nelson Piquet has proven it in the past. Although the British driver is currently enjoying excellent momentum, this remains insufficient to hope to upset the general classification. Over the last six Grands Prix contested, Lando Norris won twice and made up a 32-point deficit on Max Verstappen. More than a third of the way is covered, but he still has as many Grand Prix left to complete the remaining two thirds and dethrone the one considered undethroned.