verstappen norris piastri british grand prix

David Croft points to Max Verstappen's successor

14:29, 21 Jul

Updated: 18:58, 21 Jul

byLudo van Denderen

It seems that a small miracle needs to happen for Max Verstappen to clinch the Formula 1 world title for the fifth season in a row. At the moment, the Dutchman and his Red Bull Racing car are usually no match for McLaren. So who is going to be the champion?

David Croft, the Sky Sports commentator, has looked into his crystal ball and predicts who will become the champion. The Brit is backing his fellow countryman, namely Lando Norris, not Oscar Piastri.

"They are both supremely talented and they are both in the same car, so where are the margins that are going to win you a championship?", Croft openly asked on the Sky F1 podcast.

"Oscar is a cool, calm, level-headed individual, an athlete who keeps a lid on his emotions. Lando can be very different to that."

"He likes to wear his heart on his sleeve. He likes to talk about his emotions. Sometimes, from the outside, you feel that those emotions can interfere with the process of being an elite athlete at that part."

"But if one of those two drivers were going to thrive on confidence and momentum, you would go with Lando as the answer to that."

'Lando Norris has the momentum'

Will Norris enter the summer break as leader?

Croft says that in a tight championship the margins are small and you also need some luck. Norris had that at Silverstone, with Piastri's penalty.

And so the Brit knows: if Norris feels good, he also knows how to perform at the top.

"As we go to Spa, a track that he absolutely adores and we have seen him be very fast at in the past, if in the next two races, he could get to the summer break and be ahead, that to me makes a massive difference to Lando Norris", said the commentator.