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Debate over whether there ever really was a serious 2024 Formula 1 drivers' championship fight will likely continue long into the winter.
But one thing is for sure - Lando Norris and McLaren believed they were in the thick of one prior to the Brazilian Grand Prix.
That was until Norris's title bid came completely undone in treacherous conditions at Interlagos. Luck wasn't on his side, there were mistakes and a Max Verstappen masterclass which all contributed to a devastating points swing.
Understandably that was tough for Norris to stomach. He'd just seen his first title charge evaporate as suddenly as it appeared earlier in the season.
The two-and-a-half-week gap from Brazil to Las Vegas at least left plenty of time for processing, and on the evidence of F1 media day in Las Vegas, Norris gave the impression he's a driver with a weight lifted from his shoulders.
"It's a tough one. Not a lot has changed. I know the position I'm in now, probably I have less to lose now," Norris said.
"When I've looked at the gap to Max, probably for the first time I had the realisation of where things stand. Post-Brazil was a tough one for me, The first moment realistically when I was like, it's tough to achieve first position now.
"We were on such a good run of form, little by little. It's hard to get any big points (gain) on Max because he didn't have bad races. I had a tough week because things didn't go our way and my real fight for the championship was slimmed by almost the biggest margin of the whole year.
"It's a tricky one but it doesn't change my approach. My approach has been the right approach for the last few weekends. I've been performing well, and doing a good job.
"So from my side, not [going to] change anything but I think I can probably just go out and enjoy it more."
That hope of more enjoyment was certainly reflected in Norris's demeanour in the press conference. He looked far more relaxed than at times during a tense season and was both frequently expansive and candid with his thoughts.
"For a week I was pretty down after Brazil because I had that realisation that things were out of my control now, not within reach necessarily," he added.
“When your hopes and your belief are so high, for it to get knocked down so much all of a sudden was pretty demoralising and not the best of feelings.
“[But] you learn to accept, that’s life.”
Norris isn’t conceding the title until it’s mathematically out of reach, but he agreed with the analogy that if the title race was a game of chess, this would be check.
“It’s check and I’m all alone and Max has all of his pawns ready to attack me,” Norris said, served alongside an accurate admission that chess analogies aren’t his strong suit.
‘I put up a pretty reasonable fight’
The title race effectively being over hasn't changed Norris's perception of the season.
He's still firm in his belief that McLaren and he haven't made nearly as many mistakes this year as some make out - just as he detailed extensively in a recent in-depth interview with The Race's Scott Mitchell-Malm.
When asked what'd he learned from this season that he could take into next year, Norris replied "that I have what it takes" to win the title.
He acknowledges he "wasn't at the level" he needed to be at the start of the season when a title challenge would have seemed like a fantasy. But he believes he's improved a lot since then and is particularly pleased with his performances since the summer break.
"I feel like I've done a very good job and performed very well [since the summer break], some of the best performances I've ever done," Norris said.
"I've been very happy with how the last few months have gone, honestly. I wouldn't change any things that have happened.
"But I still need to make tweaks, I still need to improve on things, that's clear.
"I'm not completely satisfied with how I've done. I definitely know I need to make improvements but for the first time, I'm confident to say that I have what I need to fight for the championship."
Norris admits “I wasn’t outright ready to race against Red Bull and Max”. He believes he is now but it’s “too late” given the damage done earlier in the title race.
“Nobody has gone up against Max so early on in their career, halfway through the season,” Norris said.
“I put up a pretty reasonable fight. There’s no one else doing it. I’ve done my best, not done well enough.
“Max is probably one of the best drivers ever in F1 and I don’t think you’ll get a much driver than Max in F1 ever again. That’s my opinion.
“For me to go up against that belief, to fight against that person that I know is so good. It takes more than what I’ve achieved this season, but I think what I’ve done since the summer break, is closer to what I need to do.
“That’s close to being enough to fighting for it next year.”
