Karun Chandhok’s ‘bold’ prediction for who will finish in the top four of the F1 Drivers’ Championship

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The 2024 Formula 1 season started as ‘business as usual’ for Max Verstappen but it has since turned into a slow-burner.

Red Bull and Verstappen had their usual advantage after winning four of the first five races, but the developments made by McLaren behind the scenes have enabled Lando Norris to emerge as a title threat.

Norris has been vocal about how mistakes have cost him valuable points in the title battle, while Red Bull has struggled with updates to their floor on the RB20 since the start of the season.

Verstappen’s advantage over Norris remains at 78 points at the halfway mark, which is a comfortable advantage for the only driver to win consecutive races this season.

His points lead is equivalent to three race wins with 10 Grands Prix left on the calendar, while Red Bull’s lead in the Constructors’ Championship has come under threat amid a series of struggles for second driver Sergio Perez.

There are now just 42 points between Red Bull and McLaren, having reduced the deficit from 115 points in the first six rounds. Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok has made a bold prediction for the outcome of the season when speaking on The Fast and the Curious podcast.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Karun Chandhok predicts outcome of the 2024 F1 season

Predicting an F1 season can often be straightforward due to how one-sided the results often become, as one team dominates and the others attempt to catch up.

But with such variety in the last couple of races, Chandhok believes there could be a surprise outcome to the Drivers’ Championship at the end of the season.

“I’m going to stick with Max. I’m going to go bold and say Oscar second, Lando third, Lewis fourth,” said Chandhok.

Speaking on the RacingNews365 podcast, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner expects it might be much closer between Verstappen and the two McLaren drivers when the season concludes in Abu Dhabi.

“Max has got a good advantage, but still, there’s still half the season to come. So that’s not a given to me. I think Max will win the Drivers’ Championship, but it could go to the last race,” said Steiner.

Can McLaren catch up to Red Bull?

Verstappen’s comfortable lead in the Drivers’ Championship is likely only going to get disrupted if Red Bull suffers poor reliability or a run of extremely unlucky races.

This means attention is more on whether McLaren can eclipse Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship, as they attempt to win their first since 1998.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

McLaren has been the most consistent team on the grid with a run of 10 races finishing on the podium consecutively, their best since achieving 13 in a row between the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

They have also been the highest-scoring team of the last eight races, while Mercedes is also taking points off Red Bull with strong finishes from George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.

If each of their form continues the way it has, Steiner’s prediction of it coming down to the wire might prove to be the most accurate.