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Lando Norris has confessed that he hasn’t met the standards of a world champion this season, despite his ambition to challenge Max Verstappen for the Formula 1 title. The McLaren driver, currently 78 points behind Verstappen with ten races remaining, is determined to improve his performance as the season resumes at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Reflecting on his season so far, Norris stated, “I’m still very happy with how the season’s gone, but just one too many mistakes and a few too many points given away. Which is not the level I need to be at if I want to fight for a championship and fight against a driver like Max.”
Norris and his team are eyeing an ambitious goal of catching Red Bull, who currently hold a 42-point lead in the constructors’ championship. While recognizing the difficulty of the challenge, Norris remains optimistic about his chances. “For the team, of course [we can do it]. As a driver, it is still within reach but it is a lot of points and it’s against Max. I want to be optimistic and say there are still chances,” he added.
Despite his determination, Norris acknowledged that a series of small errors, particularly at the start of races, have hindered his progress. “In the first half of the season, I have not performed at the level of a world champion. Simple as that. At times I have. Many races I have. But little things have let me down along the way and those are things I can’t afford,” he admitted.
Norris’ hopes are bolstered by an upcoming upgrade to the McLaren car, the first major development since May. “We have some things on the car this weekend,” Norris said, noting the need for the team to be cautious with new developments, unlike other teams that have introduced upgrades that didn’t work as expected.
Meanwhile, his teammate, Oscar Piastri, revealed that he had been racing with a broken rib during the last three races before the summer break. The injury, caused by an ill-fitting race seat, became apparent during the Spanish Grand Prix and worsened over the subsequent races. “But going to Barcelona, Austria, Silverstone, they are three pretty hardcore tracks, so a bit of a pressure point, and eventually my rib broke up. It’s all good now,” Piastri shared.
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Verstappen, who is set to start his 200th grand prix this weekend. Despite his dominance, Verstappen remains cautious about his future and the new regulations coming into play in 2026. “In my mind at the moment I am not thinking about a new contract. I want to see how it goes and see the new regulations, if it’s fun or not,” he said.
The Dutch Grand Prix, a race Verstappen has won since its return in 2021, poses a significant challenge this year due to the heightened competitiveness in the field and his winless streak since June. “Looking at how the season is at the moment, for sure [will be toughest race here],” Verstappen remarked.
