Lando Norris has admitted that he indeed doubted his title chances this year. The Brit has previously been candid about his self-confidence and mental health. However, he has been in top form in the recent Grands Prix, and his name is once again at the top of the leaderboard. Yet, he is acutely aware of the threat posed by teammate Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. His goal for the remaining races is clear: “Keep my head in the game.”
In the run-up to the current Formula 1 season, Norris was considered the title favorite. In the first races, he lived up to that promise by immediately taking the lead in the championship. But after a series of disappointing results in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Miami, he lost that top position to Piastri, who coolly extended his lead in the title race. A dropout in Zandvoort marked a new low point, but since then, Norris has made an impressive comeback – after the Dutch GP, he has consistently finished ahead of his teammate.
After his victory in Mexico, which saw him regain the lead in the World Championship, Norris was asked if he had ever doubted himself this year. “Sometimes, especially at the beginning of the year,” he responded to Sky Sports. “I never want to blame my car. After all, Oscar (Piastri) won with the same equipment, so that was no excuse. I just couldn’t get the hang of it and couldn’t find a way to make it work.”
‘Verstappen is Still Catching Up’
“Now I’m looking for other solutions to make it work,” Lando Norris said about his recent rise in the championship. “It’s as simple as that. Of course, that gives a lot of confidence, but one good race doesn’t really matter to me. That doesn’t say anything. Two, three, four good races in a row – that’s what counts. Fortunately, the past few months have been good.”
However, the title fight is far from over. With four more Grands Prix on the calendar, the difference with Piastri is only one point, and Max Verstappen is still a serious threat. “Max is still catching up,” Norris emphasized. “I’ve had one good weekend now, but Max has still been overtaking me in the past few months. So yes, I need to keep my head in the game.”
