Max Verstappen & Lando Norris have finished in the top-2 positions in the last 3 races of the 2024 Formula 1 season. The question on everyone's mind is - will the Verstappen-Norris battle continue through the season?

If the 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is anything to go by, it does seem so. If Miami was won by Norris-McLaren thanks to the Safety Car, Norris' late-race charge in Imola confirmed McLaren's turn of pace thanks to their steady upgrade plans...a plan that started in Austria last year.

Since their win in Miami, McLaren's communication has changed - from claiming that they could challenge Red Bull Racing, they're now saying than can. For Formula 1's sake, one can only hope so.

But how could Lando Norris launch such a late-race charge on Max Verstappen? How did Verstappen-Red Bull recover after a messy start to the weekend? Could Norris have attacked Verstappen earlier, and if the race was a lap longer, could Norris have actually one?

In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Kunal Shah and @f1statsguru review the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Soumil Arora, who is on holiday in the north-eastern part of India, was sorely missed!

Is Mercedes now the 'best of the rest'? Why have Yuki Tsunoda and Nico Hulkenberg impressed everyone in 2024? Did Hulkenberg's tow cost McLaren a 1-2 in Qualifying on Saturday? Sergio Perez is now third in the Drivers' Championship behind Charles Leclerc - could this hamper his contract extension talks? And of course, did Ferrari's upgrades work?

Lots of narratives, explainers and facts-stats packed in this 50+ mins long episode. Tune in!

(Season 2024, Episode 23)

Follow our hosts on Twitter: @f1statsguru and Kunal Shah

Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool

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