In a span of 48 hours in Brazil, Lando Norris significantly widened his lead over his closest title competitor, Oscar Piastri. However, according to Norris himself, he is ‘not at all focused on the World Championship’. After his victory in the São Paulo Grand Prix, the Brit admits he is still wary of the threat posed by Max Verstappen.
With a flawless sprint weekend (fastest in training, two pole positions, and two victories), Lando Norris has created a substantial gap between himself, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen, the only drivers who can still prevent him from winning the world title. Two weeks after his dominant victory in Mexico, he wins again by a comfortable margin. However, appearances can be deceiving, says the Brit.
“I had to fight hard for this victory,” he claims. “It was a fantastic race and it’s great to win here on this beautiful track with these amazing fans.” The championship leader dedicates the victory to Gil de Ferran, a former Brazilian driver who worked for McLaren from 2018 for three years and was Norris’s mentor. “This one’s for Gil, my mentor for many years. I thought a lot about him while I was in the car,” Norris admits.
Thoughts of the Brazilian, who passed away nearly two years ago, do not distract him behind the wheel, nor do all the newspaper headlines and analyses distract him from his ultimate goal. “I ignore everything and everyone,” says Norris. “I focus on myself. The team did a great job and I had a great car this weekend. However, a reward is never a given, because I don’t think we had the fastest car today.”
Hence, the Brit asserts, daydreaming about a world title is not his style. Being 24 points ahead of Piastri and 49 points ahead of Verstappen with three races, including a sprint race, to go keeps him grounded. “This is a very nice victory, but honestly, when I see how fast Max is here… He was faster than us. That’s what I’m thinking about, not the title. We weren’t fast enough, there’s still a long way to go. And today you can see how quickly things can change. I focus on myself, ignore everything, and keep pushing hard.”
