Norris “more relaxed” heading into sophomore F1 season

Lando Norris says he feels “more relaxed and not so nervous” heading into his sophomore Formula 1 campaign with McLaren.

The 20-year-old Briton graduated from Formula 2 after just one year in the series to contest the 2019 F1 season and impressed throughout his rookie campaign, having finished 11th in the drivers’ championship and helped McLaren seal fourth place in the constructors’.

Norris conceded towards the end of his maiden F1 season that he was unsure whether he was ready for the step up and had some initial doubts about his abilities, but he insists he feels much better prepared heading into the forthcoming 2020 campaign.

"I’m itching to get back in the car, especially this year,” Norris said in a McLaren preview.

“I was last year, but I was a lot more nervous at this point in 2019 with all the new things I had to contend with: rules, information, strategies, ways of working, everything really.

“Whereas now, I know a lot of this stuff. I feel more relaxed and not so nervous. Instead of wondering whether I’m ready for the first race, this time I know I am and that’s why I’m so excited.

“Formula 1 is such a complex sport,” he added. "There are so many factors which impact performance, and while you can study them, you cannot properly understand them until you’ve experienced them.

“For example, managing the tyres, knowing when to push and when not to push, and how to respond to a rapidly changing strategy. You’ve got to think about the long game in races and that gets easier with experience.”