Lando Norris’ Brazilian GP comment proves he is ready to be F1 world champion
Lando Norris heads into the final three races of the season with a commanding World Championship advantage, and the British racing sensation is ready to receive motorsport’s most prestigious crown
Last Sunday, Lando Norris took the chequered flag first in Brazil, and in doing so, made a giant leap towards achieving his lifelong dream of becoming an F1 world champion.
With team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri stuck down in fifth place, and formidable reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who beat Norris to the crown in 2024, effectively out of the picture 49 points behind him, Norris would have been forgiven for dialling up the celebrations in Sao Paulo.
Yet, when he was offered an opportunity to lap up the plaudits in his mandatory post-race interview, he instead made it clear that he was unhappy with the pace deficit to Red Bull. “I mean, it was a great win, but seeing how fast Max was today, it’s pretty disappointing that we weren’t quicker,” he told Jolyon Palmer, who was holding the microphone.
“That’s where my mind’s at, at the minute, going to see the team, congratulate them and see where we weren’t quick enough. But that’s me, and we’ll see what we can do. Not a long way to go, but it can change so quickly, like we’ve seen today, so I’ve just got to focus on myself. Keep my head down, ignore everyone and keep pushing.”
Norris’ comments emphasised the most significant contrast between the two McLaren drivers at present: their mindsets. Earlier this year, the Brit stumbled across the mental tightrope between a perfectionist attitude and overly critical self-deprecation.
His decision to focus on identifying on-track mistakes even attracted concern from 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg, who reached out to Norris to offer his own expertise and advice, but received no reply.
For months, the 26-year-old’s mindset was one of the most discussed topics in the paddock, debated by pundits and highlighted by the media. And yet, Norris stayed true to the approach that he believed would carry him through to F1 glory. How vindicated he must feel now, heading to Las Vegas with a 24-point advantage in his back pocket.
In recent weeks, the Brit has been showered with boos from the grandstands, stemming from Monza’s team orders fiasco, but Norris has laughed them off. Once the most popular rising star on the grid, maybe it is the courage to be disliked that has turned Norris from the struggling pre-season favourite into the man to beat.
The course of the title race may still change before the chequered flag waves in Abu Dhabi. What is clear, though, is that Norris won’t waiver from his ‘one race at a time’ approach. The Brit won’t celebrate until the job is done, and the world champion tagline finally rests alongside his name.
