Max Verstappen‘s frustration knew no bounds in Hungary when his RB20 lost its dominant edge. Besides McLaren overpowering him, even the once-inferior Mercedes and still-inferior Ferrari got ahead of him. Settling for P5, Red Bull saw the first glimpse of failure. Sadly, this wasn’t a one-time occurrence, but the beginning of a new normal.

The 3-time champion is 78 points ahead of runner-up Lando Norris in the drivers’ standings. While this seems like an unassailable lead, with 10 more races to go, anything is possible. Verstappen, of all, knows how a championship can be snatched in the last race of the season, i.e. Abu Dhabi 2021. However, this brings a contradiction in front of him, as F1 Nation host Tom Clarkson explains.

“Max has got to realize that he’s not gonna win every race in the second half of the season because the competition is too close, and he’s got to bang in the percentages,” Clarkson said, continuing, “He’s got to take the 5th places when that’s all that car is good for instead of trying to force something that might lead to an accident with another car or result in a spin”, as he referred to Verstappen’s Austrian GP incident with Norris. “When the performance isn’t there, he’s just got to get what is available on the table,” he emphasized.

Though Clarkson is spot on in his assessment of the situation, Verstappen also faces the added pressure of covering up for teammate Sergio Perez’s underperformance. Moreover, McLaren’s added advantage gives Lando Norris the opportunity to rack up consecutive victories. Thus, leaving the reigning world champion in an uncomfortable place mentally, and Norris’ prediction for the future, is all the more stressful.

Lando Norris expects more crashes with Max Verstappen

The Austrian GP was a turning point in Norris and Verstappen’s friendship. An added element of fierce on-track rivalry entered the picture. The duo went wheel-to-wheel in the final stages of the race with several divebombs from Norris and questionable defending from Verstappen. Eventually, the possibility of the dreaded collision came true, and a war of words ensued between the two teams after the race.

Unfortunately, the McLaren talisman believes that the crash was the first of many to come. “I expect to crash more in the future with different people, with Max,” the 24-year-old told RN365. “Not because it’s an expectation of I expect to crash with them – it’s just those scenarios and circumstances always happen. With another five or 10 years in F1, you’re going to have those situations at some point,” he explained.

Luckily for Verstappen, the second half of 2024 begins on his home soil. The Orange Army will show up in hundreds of thousands to support their hero. This will help him go on the front foot and set the tone for championship rivalry against Norris. However, former F1 champion Damon Hill believes Red Bull has their work cut out for them. With McLaren having found the “sweet spot”, the reigning champs will have “slimmer pickings” for constructors’ points as well, he predicts.