This season’s Formula 1 World Championship is shaping up to be one for the ages, as Lando Norris and McLaren find themselves in the thick of the title battle—a situation not seen by the Woking-based outfit in over a decade. After years of rebuilding and meticulous development, McLaren is finally seeing the fruits of its labor pay off, thanks in large part to Norris’s remarkable consistency and several impressive performances against both Red Bull and Ferrari. Hungarian fans, who keenly remember the glory days of McLaren and the legacy of drivers like Ayrton Senna, now have every reason to keep a keen eye on how the papaya squad approaches this critical juncture: should they put their full backing behind Norris in the 2024 championship?
With only a handful of points separating Norris from the current championship leader, strategic team orders and subtle intra-team dynamics are suddenly thrust into the spotlight. The team’s other young hotshot, Oscar Piastri, is proving himself as a formidable challenger, but it’s Norris who has consistently delivered under pressure on Sundays. In modern Formula 1, the proverbial “number one driver” status is rare, yet history shows that when a team focuses its resources and strategy on a single contender, World Championships can be won—even against the might of Red Bull and the tactical prowess of Ferrari.
The statistics simply cannot be ignored: Norris’s podium streak and his error-free racecraft have allowed McLaren to steadily accumulate points, turning every opportunity to their advantage. From audacious overtakes to surgical tyre management, Norris has taken the car’s upgrades and run with them, extracting performance that many thought was unattainable for McLaren in the past few years. The result? The first McLaren win since Daniel Ricciardo’s 2021 Monza triumph, and a very real shot at the World Drivers’ Championship.
For McLaren fans in Hungary, few things would be sweeter than seeing their team put faith in Norris as the spearhead of their campaign. Such a move does come with its own set of risks—Piastri’s morale and natural competitive drive must be managed with care, as was famously the case with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso during the team’s turbulent 2007 season. Modern team principals, like Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, must strike a balance between supporting their top points scorer and maintaining harmony within the garage. Yet, as Red Bull demonstrated with Max Verstappen, when the team rallies around one driver, championship glory is a very real possibility.
The remainder of the season will see McLaren face tough circuits and unpredictable race conditions. The papaya car's resurgence is the result of relentless upgrades and clever engineering—a testament to the team’s technical department. Norris, for his part, remains calm and focused, making few mistakes and maximizing every strategy call from the pit wall. His relationship with Piastri also appears solid, built on mutual respect and a healthy dose of internal competition.
For fans tracking McLaren's progress, the next few races could be decisive. Will the team throw its full support behind Norris, perhaps using team orders if necessary, to keep their title hopes alive? Or will they risk splitting points and focus, allowing rivals to capitalize? Based on the current momentum, Norris is the obvious candidate to challenge for the title—he's not just fast, he’s matured into a true race leader. For those who watched him rise from a promising junior to a bona fide star, this could be the season all of McLaren's faith and hard work finally pays off.
Whatever approach McLaren takes, their revival is a breath of fresh air for Formula 1 fans from Budapest to Szeged and beyond. As the championship pace heats up, and with Hungarian hearts beating a little faster each Sunday, the question lingers: will 2024 be the year Norris and McLaren stand atop the world once again? Only time—and some clever strategy—will tell. One thing is certain; it's a thrilling time to be a Formula 1 fan, especially if papaya orange is your color of choice.
