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Will Verstappen or Norris be F1 world champion in 2024? Binotto predicts
- Nicole Mulder
With six race weekends remaining, McLaren seem to be the favourites to win the Constructors' World Championship. Both drivers are regularly fighting for the podium places and they have a significant lead already. However, the drivers' title is still very open, with Lando Norris trying to chase down Max Verstappen. The Sauber COO and CTO Mattia Binotto believes the latter will be able to defend his title.
Binotto: 'Verstappen will win the drivers' title'
When asked about who could become both the drivers' and constructors' world champion this season, Binotto was clear: "Verstappen the drivers' title, McLaren the constructors' title," he told Corriere della Sera.
The former Ferrari team principal believes Verstappen is still the strongest driver on the current grid. "He still proves that even with a car that is weaker than others," the former team principal added.
The Swiss-born Italian, who will join Jonathan Wheatley in leading Audi, also discussed why McLaren were able to make the next step. "McLaren have shown that you can change the balance of power, but it also shows that the regulations work. They needed to improve the show by increasing the number of competing teams and that has happened. There are at least four teams within two tenths of each other," Binotto noted.
In the same interview, the COO and CTO also addressed his replacement, Frederic Vasseur's performance at Ferrari. Binotto is happy to see his former team perform well; however, he also said he would not have signed Lewis Hamilton to the Scuderia.
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sarkozi
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