AS MAX Verstappen rounded the final corner at the Bahrain International Circuit in the opening race of the 2024 Formula 1 season, many would have been forgiven for believing they were in for another campaign of constructor dominance.
The sport has been plagued with supremacy over the many by the few; the last 14 team titles have been won by either Verstappen's
And when Dutchman Verstappen, chasing a fourth consecutive individual title, rounded the final corner of the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix in week two, fans would have been excused for resigning themselves to another
But then something happened. In
Verstappen won again, in
On Sunday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya he was pushed all the way by McLaren's Norris and, in comparison to recent years, he has been under pressure throughout this season.
CLOSING THE GAP Ferrari, McLaren and
And though it has not manifested in the downfall of Verstappen - it would be a shame for him to drop out of the picture so suddenly - it has made the sport somewhat interesting again.
Once it was Hamilton versus whoever was alongside him, then Verstappen against himself. So this already beats that narrative and will come as some relief to Formula 1's marketing chiefs.
But could that be about to change?
Formula 1 has just completed the first leg of a triple header which sees the paddock travel to
This part of the calendar is congested with races in
And in this string of grands prix it is common to see the upgrades come thick and fast; some teams may target aerodynamics and others may look at altering a shaft here or there.
That's because this period is the last time teams get to try things in race conditions before the summer break, where mass upgrading begins and thoughts start turning towards next season.
For
It also comes at a time when team principal
While
McLaren and Norris have looked the most likely but a summer break can produce all manner of outcomes for each team.
These final races before then, and especially this triple header fans are currently in the midst of, are crucial for the chasing pack to narrow the gap before
Whether the Raging Bulls can do that, however, based on their recent off-track woes, remains to be seen.
TITLE RACE 1.
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