F1, Norris in comeback mode
Having written his name in the F1 hall of fame has enormously benefited Lando Norris. The world champion is delivering continuous performances, banishing those errors that risked costing him the 2025 title; McLaren’s growth then allowed him to win at the Hungaroring and Zandvoort. And now, while avoiding proclamations about confirming the world title, he shows that he has acquired greater self-awareness. A confidence fueled by the papaya progress and the work done on and off the track.
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Norris believes that McLaren’s growth does not depend solely on the car updated with the usual highly efficient success at Woking. The Briton emphasizes his contribution to understanding the car and his ability to correct the weak points of his driving, believing that in 2026 no one has done a better job than him.
Norris’s words
“I know how good a job I’m doing behind the wheel. I’m not usually one to speak highly of myself, but for once I’d give myself some credit: I feel like I’m doing a better job than everyone else,” these were Norris’s words after the checkered flag in the Netherlands.
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“We certainly have a car capable of beating Mercedes. We have a car very similar to the W17 overall, even if they are more complete while we are more competitive at high speeds. But my work is one of the reasons why some believe we are the team to beat,” he added.
The situation in the World Championship remains complex, however. The poor start to the season condemns Norris to a difficult comeback against Kimi Antonelli, 83 points behind. However, 2025 itself can once again help the world champion: Max Verstappen’s comeback was a more arduous task than the Briton’s (-104 from the first and -70 from the second with nine weekends remaining). Yet it vanished by just two points.
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