Lando Norris says that he feels a more complete driver who is better prepared for the title fight in which he sits against Oscar Piastri this year than in 2024.
Norris took his first victory in Formula 1 last year and emerged as a real threat to Max Verstappen while trying to close an important point margin in the second half of the season. This time Norris says that little has changed when it comes to his potential, but that he is better able to show it regularly.
“Nothing ensures that my life feels different, it’s just your readiness for the moment, for this struggle,” Norris told Racer. “I have learned many things from a racing side. In general, more experience.
“What is accompanied by experience is just dealing with more situations, going through more things, understanding your team better, they understand you better. So of course you are simply more prepared for every situation.
“You are more prepared, but the second part is actually a better driver on top. Can you actually drive the car faster? Can you save the tires in a better way? What are normally the more difficult things, I would say. But also, especially for Oscar, in his third year of Formula 1, much of that just comes with experience.
“I think I’m going to say it in every interview I do, probably from now on – maybe never – but I now feel more like the most complete driver I have ever been. I feel that I am ready to tackle more challenges, and all these things.
“However, it does not necessarily make it easier. Your racet is still the best drivers in the world that can drive the car as quickly as you. So it doesn’t make it easier, but you are just more prepared. And I think you can only show more of your potential.”
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown believes that Norris has shown that potentially more often in high -pressure situations without getting the credit that he deserves, or the recognition of his own improvements alongside Piastri.
“I think Lando is in a great place,” said Brown. “There was also a time that Lando could not win, according to the world, and he won four of the last five races [he’s started] from Paal. So I think this kind of story about Lando is not accurate today.
“He is open, wears his emotions a bit on his sleeve. I think everyone is different, but I think he is in a great place. I have never seen him in a better place.
‘[In Budapest after qualifying] I think the Lando from a year ago might have been more critical for themselves. He’s doing great. So no, I think that looks a lot like it cannot beat pole stat. Now that he has won four or five races from pole, nobody seems to be talking about it.
“I think you should write about that. Because there is still a stat [Charles Leclerc]Of whom I am a big fan, who has not extracted so many races from the pole, and I don’t think that’s something with him. I think that’s [a reflection of] How great is he in a round and maybe a car can wear over a round that does not have the ultimate racing pace.
“So that is not meant to settle it at all. I think he is a huge talent. But my point is a kind of good story, and when that story disappears, nobody, it is almost as if the withdrawal is always on the back page. And I think Lando’s in a great place.”
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