Max Verstappen Predicted to Struggle in Final Stretch of F1 2024 Points Battle

Max Verstappen Predicted to Win 2024 F1 World Championship Despite Not Leading in Second-Half Points

Max Verstappen is expected to clinch the 2024 F1 World Championship, even if he doesn’t score the most points in the second half of the season. This prediction comes from F1 press conference host Tom Clarkson, who believes Verstappen’s title defense will be supported by McLaren and Mercedes “taking points off each other.”

Despite concerns for Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship, where the team holds a slim 42-point lead over McLaren with 10 races remaining, Clarkson is confident that Verstappen will secure his fourth title. He argues that Mercedes, who won three of the last four races before the summer break, could hinder Lando Norris’s chances of closing the gap on Verstappen.

Clarkson also expects McLaren to challenge Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship, highlighting the strong performances of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as key factors. He explained, “I don’t think Max Verstappen will score the most points in these last 10 races – that will likely be a Mercedes or McLaren driver – but I believe he has already done enough to win the World Championship.

“Mercedes and McLaren are both gaining momentum, and as they compete for points, it will only benefit Verstappen. Even though he hasn’t won a race in four attempts, he’s been consistently finishing in the points, which is all he needs to maintain his lead in the Championship.”

However, Clarkson sees the Constructors’ Championship as a different story. He believes McLaren has a strong chance of overtaking Red Bull, given their competitive drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, and their current position just 42 points behind.

It’s not uncommon for the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles to be split between different teams, as was last seen in 2021 when Mercedes won the Constructors’ Championship while Verstappen claimed his first Drivers’ title.