Lando Norris bluntly honest about “something I struggled with” in F1

Lando Norris has opened up about his evolving mind-set and self-belief in Formula 1.

Martin Brundle has been among the F1 observers to encourage Norris not to be so self-critical of his performances.

Last year, the driver helped McLaren to the constructors’ championship, won his first grands prix and ran Max Verstappen close in the drivers’ standings.

It finally gave Norris belief that he could eventually dream of more.

“It was a noticeable point for me,” he said. “It is something I have struggled with in racing, and being in Formula 1.

“Every driver is different. Plenty of drivers say ‘I am going to do it this year! I am going to be the boss!’

“Everyone has their own way of saying things to themselves, and saying stuff to the media.

“I say what I believe in. Sometimes it’s a high expectation, sometimes it’s not, but it’s always the truth.

“If I think we’re not going to do well? It’s because I genuinely think we’re not going to do well.

“It’s nice when I prove myself wrong. When I say that, then we have a good weekend? Wonderful.

“There are also times when I say ‘we will be good this weekend’ but we struggle.

“I am always honest. Through last year, I had good moments - not just after a good race or a win - but sometimes after a tough race where Max got the better of me, where I [thought] ‘I can do this, I can race him, I can fight at the front’."

Lando Norris opens up about F1 2025 mind-set

Norris said: “I was always the kid who thought ‘I want to be in F1, to race these guys, to be up there…’

“I have always thought like that.

“When you’re in F1, you’ve got to race against Lewis, Fernando, then Max. I always have to experience something to make myself believe it.

“Last year I experienced winning races and fought the guys who I thought ‘I wonder how I'd do against them’.

“I can’t answer something until I know it. Maybe that’s not always the correct mentality to have.

“But that’s me! That’s work I work! Some things aren’t great, some are great, it’s what makes me me. It makes me very good in certain areas.

“Last year was the moment where I thought ‘I can do it’.

“I feel like I can compete against these guys, be at the top, I can fight.”

McLaren overtook Red Bull as F1’s fastest car at the midway point of 2024.

Norris and Oscar Piastri did enough to claim the constructors’ but will both dream of the drivers’ title in the upcoming 2025 campaign.

Key to overthrowing Verstappen will be starting more competitively than they managed a year ago.