Lewis Hamilton is optimistic that the 2024 Formula 1 title battle will “go down to the wire,” but acknowledges that Lando Norris will need “some fortune” to catch championship leader Max Verstappen.
After winning the Dutch Grand Prix, Norris reduced Verstappen’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 70 points. Verstappen has not won since the Spanish Grand Prix five races ago.
Speaking at Monza on Thursday, Hamilton stated, “There are a lot of points on the table, so I think it’s definitely not impossible. Max probably only needs to finish second every race to win, and Lando would have to win every single race, which still might not be enough. Some luck will be needed.”
Hamilton hopes the competition remains fierce for the fans: “With the performance they showed last weekend, maybe they could pull it off.”
While it’s uncertain how much pressure Norris can apply, McLaren is closing in on Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship, now only 30 points behind. Consistent performances from Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri have allowed McLaren to capitalize on Sergio Perez’s struggles.
Norris has been cautious about the title race, opting for a race-by-race approach. He doesn’t expect to replicate his dominant performance from Zandvoort at Monza, stating, “We’re not expecting to be as good as last weekend, but we still believe we can be competitive here.”
Sky Sports F1’s Live Italian GP Schedule:
- Friday, August 30
- 8:30 AM: F3 Practice
- 9:55 AM: F2 Practice
- 12:00 PM: Italian GP Practice One
- 1:55 PM: F3 Qualifying
- 2:50 PM: F2 Qualifying
- 3:45 PM: Italian GP Practice Two
- 5:15 PM: The F1 Show
- Saturday, August 31
- 8:25 AM: F3 Sprint
- 11:15 AM: Italian GP Practice Three
- 1:10 PM: F2 Sprint
- 2:15 PM: Italian GP Qualifying Build-up
- 3:00 PM: Italian GP Qualifying
- 5:00 PM: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
- Sunday, September 1
- 7:30 AM: F3 Feature Race
- 9:00 AM: F2 Feature Race
- 11:00 AM: Porsche Supercup
- 12:30 PM: Grand Prix Sunday: Italian GP Build-up
- 2:00 PM: The Italian Grand Prix
- 4:00 PM: Chequered Flag: Italian GP Reaction
- 5:00 PM: Ted’s Notebook
Credit: Sky Sports
