What does Lando Norris have to do next?

The F1 season is drawing to a close with just two races left and the excitement is palpable. With Lando Norris being disqualified in dramatic circumstances in Las Vegas, it leaves the title chase wide open for others to potentially take the title away from the Brit.

With just two races to go, Norris and McLaren are left pondering on how they need to approach these last two races to secure the title for the first time in Norris’ career and the first time since McClaren won it in 2008 with fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton.

What happened in Las Vegas?

All seemed to going swimmingly for Norris as he finished second behind title rival Max Verstappen but in a post race technical check, he was penalised for excessive skid-block wear meaning the complete picture has changed dramatically from what seemed like a great chance of being secure for the final two races has now added unnecessary pressure to Norris and McClaren.Alongside this Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri who finished fourth and is in 2nd place overall was disqualified for the same reason.

What does Norris need to consider?

Norris now needs to refocus and make sure he does everything within his own power to secure that Grand Prix win come the end of the year in the culminating race in Abu Dhabi. Both races in Abu Dhabi and Qatar will be sell outs, if you want to get tickets for the F1 check out Ticket-Compare.com to snap up those tickets, and Norris will have to deal with a full crowd expecting him to produce the goods as he heads in top of the table.

• Qualifying becomes vital

With so little time available and qualifying giving racers a chance of gaining an early advantage, Norris needs to take control on the Saturday and then attack on the Sunday.

Getting into the prime position that he needs to be on Saturday puts him in good stead because he knows full well that in his leading table position that he will have teammate Piastri and rival Max Verstappen breathing down his neck.

• Attack when Verstappen attacks but keep his cool

Verstappen has been here before and knows how to deal with the high pressure situations. The four time World Champion is looking to retain his title for a third year in a row and will not go down without a fight.

Known for being a confident attacking driver Verstappen will not hesitate and Norris has to respond in equal measures if he is to keep Verstappen at bay because the Dutch driver will take advantage of the situation if the Brit hesitates at any moment.

Norris has to manage the emotion of the last two races as well as the driving. Verstappen enjoys the mind games more than anyone in F1 and if Norris shows any sign of flickering Verstappen will be all over it like a rash.

• Do not get disqualified

Although Norris needs to attack when Verstappen does, he needs to avoid being over zealous. One mistake could lead to disqualification and that could be devastating for the Brit, especially if things have not gone the way he wants in Qatar.

Back to back disqualifications need to be avoided at all costs and essentially Norris needs to win in Qatar to relieve pressure especially with Verstappen gaining the huge advantage in Las Vegas.

• Smart positioning

If Norris does well in qualifying, he can control the race the way he wants to, leaving Verstappen and Piastri frustrated in his wake. This can be done with smart defensive lines in the first lap, prioritize exit speed, and anticipate Verstappen’s late braking.

There is an argument that Norris could take it steadier and try to secure a top three finish in Qatar but leaving all that pressure on Abu Dhabi could mean that Verstappen or even his teammate Piastri take all the glory in Abu Dhabi.

• Use Piastri as a teammate and not fear him as a rival

With two races to go and no win for Mercedes since 2008, the company will be wanting to prosper in any way they can and avoid another Red Bull victory. Norris is the leader by 24 points,in Qatar and Abu Dhabi it is an opportunity to use Piastri to apply pressure from behind, forcing Red Bull into defensive strategies.

Verstappen is experienced and two orange cars against him could apply the pressure that forces him out of contention.