Lando Norris – the McLaren driver who’s been on the receiving end of many a joke and wordplay, courtesy of his last name. We’ve seen him dubbed “Flying Norris” when he’s been on a roll, like in 2024 when he won four races – Miami, Zandvoort, Marina Bay, and Yas Marina. And, of course, when things haven’t gone his way, he’s been labeled “Soft Norris.”
But let’s get real, if Norris had been more aggressive and minimized his errors, we might be talking about him as the current F1 champion. I mean, McLaren had the most competitive car on the grid in the second half of the 2024 championship, but Norris just couldn’t seem to capitalize on it. Meanwhile, his arch-rival Max Verstappen was pulling off miracles in a car that was losing potential by the day. In the end, Verstappen took home his fourth consecutive title, leaving Norris to ponder what could’ve been. It was a tough pill to swallow, and Norris’s “it’s all a lesson” speech didn’t quite hide his disappointment.
McLaren presented his model, the MCL39, in Silverstone for the 2025 season.
As things stand, McLaren is looking like a top contender, alongside Ferrari, going into the next season. And Norris is well aware that he’ll be under a lot more pressure this year. The team’s got a lot to live up to, having been champions in the constructors’ championship last year.
His plan to overthrow King Max
Norris knows that starting the season on a strong foot is crucial. “The most important thing is to start the season with good footing, because it changes a lot to face Max if you’re 50 points ahead versus 50 points behind,” he said in a statement to Motorsport. He’s got a point – if you’re already playing catch-up, it’s a whole different story. And let’s be real, Verstappen’s a tough competitor who’s not afraid to get defensive when he needs to. Norris has witnessed this firsthand, and he’s aware that he needs to be strategic in his approach.
The resource of razor blades
Norris is ready to get aggressive, though. “I have to take out my elbows and show that I’m not going to give him any position voluntarily,” he said. He’s looking forward to the first few duels, and he’s not going to back down without a fight. But at the same time, he’s not going to take unnecessary risks – he knows that being faster and out in front is the easiest way to beat Verstappen. Martin Brundle, a British analyst, agrees that Norris needs to toughen up. “He knows that he can win a world championship, and for this, he’s aware that he will have to take out his elbows and put some shaving sheets in those elbows in the fighting with wheel with Max,” he said in an interview with Sky Sports.
The award for your faithfulness
What’s truly admirable about Norris, though, is his loyalty to McLaren. As Brundle put it, “What I admire most about Lando is that other runners would have left without McLaren when receiving tempting offers, but he has stayed and has shown blind confidence in the team.” That’s a rare quality in the world of F1, and it’s something that’s earned Norris a lot of respect.
