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“Not Could, Should Have”: Spanish GP Kicks Off First Triple Header

 Spanish GP 2024 concludes the first race of the first triple header in 2024 and what a nail-bitter of a race it has been. George Russell’s surprise move in lap 1 to the absolute edge-of-the-seat action till the end of the 66 lap race for the podium — fans could not look away. 

As Lando Norris gradually closed the gap between him and Max Verstappen to finally clinch the second position on the podium, fans on track and around the world watched with bated breath. While he got voted the driver of the day for the fifth time this season, Norris made it clear that he is not happy with second place anymore.

The pre-season discussions had propped up the Ferrari drivers and Hamilton to be realistic challengers to Max’s stint as the World Champion. While there was support for Lando, without a win in his 5 seasons with Formula 1, he was not a realistic choice for challenging Max’s dominance on track. 

Spanish GP Kicks Off First Triple Header

But that all changed in 2024 as his 6th season on the grid saw him win the Miami GP this year. His consistent performance saw him on podiums in Australia, China, Miami, Italy, Canada, and Spain, putting him 2 points ahead of Charles Leclerc at second position with 150 points for the Driver’s Championship run. The change in attitude, from fighting for points to fighting for podium, has made the 24-year-old British driver motivated to prove himself further. 

McLaren has provided both drivers with cars that have the range to perform well across circuits. PIastri’s podium in Monaco for 2nd position and overall ranking at 6th position just below Perez is proof of that. But Norris is now aware that he can take the competition to Verstappen. With a 2 second gap between them in Spain deciding the race winner, it is clear that he has more to give and a lot more to gain. 

While Qualifying on the pole position on Saturday had put him on an advantageous path, a bad start to the race saw him struggling throughout the 66 laps. Even though his recovery during the race and impeccable team strategy is commendable, he accutely felt this second position as a loss. 

In post-race interview, he exclaimed to David Coulthard that it’s not a question of could have but he definitely should have won the race. His performance and form during the whole weekend supports his opinion and the fans share in his disapointment. The podium saw no champagne pop this time around for him and pretty regretful interviews throughout the evening. 

As Lando Norris catches up to Max Verstappen with still a 69-point difference between them, fans could not have hoped for a better start to the first triple-header of the season. As the next weekends promise more action and interesting movements across the board, it remains to be seen if Lando is able to find it in himself to close the gap further or if the Ferrari duo makes a proper comeback together one last time.

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