Lando Norris of McLaren remains eager to secure his second Formula 1 world championship.
Lando Norris maintains that he remains as eager as ever to secure the Formula 1 championship as the reigning titleholder, even though he acknowledges that he does not possess the same singular focus as legends like Michael Schumacher and Max Verstappen.
Norris clinched his inaugural title in 2025, overcoming Red Bull’s Verstappen and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in a competitive three-way battle.
In remarks made prior to McLaren’s vehicle unveiling for the upcoming season, Norris stated that any further accomplishments beyond that victory would be considered a bonus.
“I still have many more years in Formula 1, and I will still try and get as many more championships as possible. If I never do, I’m still happy, you know? I achieved one,” Norris expressed. “If you ever see me not smiling or something, just give me a punch or something, remind me! I achieved my goal in life. I’m very happy, I’m proud, that’s something I’ll always, forever take with me.”
When questioned if this perspective might lessen his drive to compete fiercely for the title this season, he responded: “As much as I say that, I don’t feel any different coming into this season. I still feel like I just want to go out and win,” he stated.
“If I don’t achieve something again, I always have something that I’m very proud about, and I know is a huge achievement. But it certainly hasn’t taken away any ambition or desire to want to do it again, or to come into this season and go and to not care about it. That’s certainly not how I’ve pictured everything and seen everything.
“If anything, I enjoyed last year a lot, and of course, I want to do it again, just hopefully with a longer off season at the end of this year, would be nice. I’ve come into this year with the same ambition as I did last year, which is to try and win again.”
F1 has witnessed numerous champions who have gone on to secure multiple world titles following their first, but there have also been several victors who appeared to diminish after their initial win.
Norris remarked after claiming the championship in Abu Dhabi last year that he had accomplished things “my way,” choosing not to yield to pressure from Verstappen both on and off the track.
When asked about how figures like Schumacher and Verstappen successfully defended their first title, Norris indicated that he did not feel the need to alter his strategy to emulate their success.
“I can’t answer what they thought, what Michael [Schumacher] and all of those guys thought, I think it’s quite clear that I have a different mentality and a different approach to say what Max says. Good or bad, you decide!
“There’s a lot of things that I still admire about Max, and I wish I had a little bit more of that, here and there. I’m always trying to improve things. I know there’s still areas that I am not at the level I need to be … it’s still a good level. But you know, when you’re fighting these guys, you need to be close to perfection.
“So there are still plenty of things I want to work on and I want to be better on, but the baseline level of where I’m at now is already pretty good, but my motivation to win is exactly the same. I’ve definitely not lost anything, and if anything, I think I just have more confidence, because I’ve said in interviews and stuff in the past that I’m very much a guy who has to see something to believe it, especially when it’s been anything to do with myself.
“Did I believe I could be on pole for the first time or win the race? When I’ve done it, then I go, ‘now I can do it’. That’s just how I’ve, for whatever reason, fought and believed.
“I certainly have to find my own way and not disregard what other people have done in the past, but just understand what is always going to motivate me. A lot of my motivation is not just picturing me on the top step of a podium or holding another trophy; a lot of it is being with the team and allowing them to have the trophies and party and celebrate and that kind of thing. I’m not too fussed honestly about how other people have thought about stuff, but my motivation is just as high to try and win again and do my team proud.”
Source: espn.com
