Lando Norris didn’t « drive like a world champion this season »

Can Lando Norris beat Max Verstappen, the triple reigning world champion? Currently 78 points behind the Dutchman, the McLaren driver seems far from the title fight. However, with Red Bull struggling – without a victory in the last four races – and McLaren in great shape with new upgrades this weekend, the scenario could change.

However, despite the trend of the recent races, which saw the Woking team outperform Red Bull, even taking two victories in Miami with Lando Norris and in Budapest with Oscar Piastri, the British driver believes he has not driven well enough to be world champion at the end of the season, pointing out missed opportunities.

« After the first half of the season, I didn’t perform at the level of a world champion, it’s as simple as that. At times, I performed well, and in many races, I showed a good level, but there were also little things that were missing along the way, and these are things that I can’t afford.

The Briton particularly regrets his numerous missed starts, the most recent being at the last round in Spa just before the summer break where he admitted needing a recalibration to eliminate his stupid errors, the winner of the Miami Grand Prix had that day put his wheels in the gravel after La Source hairpin, causing him to lose several positions.

In Spain, Norris starts on pole but misses his start and finds himself in third behind Russell and Verstappen. In Hungary, he is overtaken by his teammate at the first corner while he was once again in pole position. A particularly frustrating situation for the British driver, who currently has a car capable of challenging for victory on a regular basis and winning titles.

« I am always very satisfied with how the season unfolded, but I made too many mistakes, too many points that I let slip away, which is not ideal if I want to fight for a championship against a driver like Max. So, there are many things that I have analyzed and that I have to work on.

« There is not a single element that I need to change, but honestly, it is at the start and during the first round that most of my opportunities evaporated. From the first round, in general, the races were very solid, and the race pace was good. » The Briton hopes that the summer break has allowed him to refocus and correct these flaws, saying he is determined to improve to become a serious title contender.

« I have shown in the past and in the last few races that I was not satisfied when I was not at the level where I had to be. It’s just because I am passionate and I want to win. We work hard to do our best, not make mistakes, and try to win. And when we don’t succeed, as athletes, we are not happy or satisfied with our own work. That’s why I have not been satisfied with certain parts of the season, and I am working very hard to try to improve. »

Despite Red Bull’s lead, Norris remains confident in McLaren’s ability to catch up with its rival, especially if Perez continues on his poor form. He still considers the possibility of securing the title, although it remains a colossal challenge against Verstappen.

« For the team, of course [the title is within reach] – it’s much more evident. As a driver, of course, it’s always possible, but it represents a lot of points and it’s against Max. I want to be optimistic and say that there are still chances. I know it’s a lot, and it will be a very difficult challenge, but with the way we are performing and with the way I know I can perform when everything is working, I still want to believe that it’s possible.

With ten races remaining, the battle between McLaren and Red Bull for the two titles should keep us on the edge of our seats, promising us an exciting end to the season.