Lando Norris has admitted to regretting certain comments he made in the past about his biggest Formula 1 rivals. The Briton clinched his first world title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, beating both Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. As the newly crowned world champion, he apologized for some jibes aimed at predecessors Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Norris has played a key role in McLaren’s resurgence in recent years, but now admits that not all his remarks during that process were appropriate. His comments about Lewis Hamilton, in particular, drew criticism. Last year, both drivers ended up on the podium at the Hungarian Grand Prix. In the cooldown room, the seven-time world champion complimented his McLaren colleague on his fast car. This rubbed Norris the wrong way: “You’ve had the fastest car for seven years, now it’s our turn,” he retorted. Now that he counts himself among the champions, Norris views his words in a different light.
‘Show More Respect Than Anyone Else’
“I know I sometimes say stupid things,” Norris admitted to the media in Abu Dhabi. “I’ve said something about Max (Verstappen) before, or I’ve made comments about Lewis in the past; everyone still talks about it. I regret some things and wish I could take them back. I wish I had just kept my mouth shut sometimes,” he laughed. The Brit emphasized that he holds his competitors in high regard. “I genuinely believe I show more respect than anyone else,” he assured. “I respect Oscar, I respect Max. I always try to give Lewis the most respect; he is a seven-time world champion after all. He’s comparable to Michael Schumacher, the best driver who ever raced in Formula 1.”
“I’m nowhere near that,” Lando Norris conceded. “Maybe I’ll never get there. I can dream about it, like I dreamed about today. But compared to them, I’ve only won one of the seven titles.” Although he regrets his previous statements, the Brit emphasized that many of them were made in the heat of the moment. “Do I regret comments I made in the cooldown room? Yes. But a lot of them are in the moment. When I hear myself talk, I think, ‘Why on earth did I say that?’ So yes, I just try to be as sincere as possible.”
