Lando Norris has refuted Max Verstappen’s claim he would’ve won the title “even earlier” in the McLaren, the Briton adamant Red Bull’s early-season advantage could not be overcome. Verstappen and Red Bull picked up where they left off last year with an emphatic 22-second victory at this year’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix where he led home a Red Bull 1-2.

The dust has settled over the Las Vegas strip, and Formula 1 has crowned its 2024 World Champion—despite Lando Norris’ best efforts. But unfortunately for the McLaren driver, the season was in Max Verstappen‘s hands right from the very start.

Lando Norris plays down his losing battle with the Red Bull driver: “Nobody in F1 could have recovered from a deficit like the one I had.”