Lando Norris: I would consider retirement if I lacked the drive to defend my F1 championship.
MELBOURNE, Australia — Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris expressed that he would feel “embarrassed” enough to leave the sport if he lacked the full motivation to defend his title this season.
Norris secured his first championship last year, marking the first for a McLaren driver since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
The British driver has encountered inquiries regarding his motivation to defend the title compared to his drive to win it initially.
In remarks made prior to the opening race of his title defense, the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, he was clear about his intentions.
“Yeah, I’ve probably engaged in more training and activities during the off-season than I ever have,” Norris stated.
“So it’s definitely not the case that I was more relaxed or partying more or anything like that. In fact, it was quite the opposite. No, I’m still just as eager.
“I think it has made me desire it even more, in a sense, because you experience that feeling similar to when you achieve one victory; you want another one in a race. It was the same sensation with the championship; that one is incredible, but you certainly want to accomplish two.
“I don’t know, at this moment, I still find it hard to imagine ever going out on track and not wanting to do everything possible to win. I would feel embarrassed if that were not the case. So, no, when that moment arrives, I’ll retire and exit Formula 1. But until then, I will always strive to win, and certainly, winning the championship last year has intensified my desire to achieve that this year.”
F1 drivers typically select a number at the start of their careers, but Norris has chosen to race with number one as the reigning champion.
Former champion Max Verstappen did likewise at Red Bull, although Hamilton famously retained the number 44 throughout his years as defending champion at Mercedes, despite having used number one while defending his title with McLaren in 2009.
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When asked about his choice, Norris remarked: “It’s an opportunity I wouldn’t want to miss to see the number one on my car. But as I’ve mentioned many times, not just for myself, but for my team. I’ve been with McLaren for many years.
“And they haven’t had a number one on the car for a very, very long time. So for my own chance to have the helmet and reflect on it in 20 years and see that I had a number one on my helmet would be remarkable. But also for the guys and girls, the mechanics, the team working on the car, the fact that they get to work on a car that has a number one is very special for them as well.
“So, yeah, it’s a small personal decision, but it carries a larger team sentiment than I experience.”
Norris refrained from commenting on who he believes poses the greatest threat to the new number one displayed on his car.
When asked who he considers the favorite, he mentioned the bookmakers’ favorite and the two teams analysts unanimously agree are ranked 10th and 11th heading into Sunday’s race.
“George [Russell] and probably Aston [Martin],” Norris chuckled. “Maybe Cadillac.”
Source: espn.com
