A smile on his face, sparks in the eyes and the self-awareness of having the skills to become world champion, sooner than later. In the night of Las Vegas that crowned Max Verstappen king of F1 for the 4th consecutive time, Lando Norris looked himself in the mirror and was proud of himself.

Second in the champion, the only driver in the grid able to give the Dutchman some headackes and still fighting for the Constructor’s title.

Time to reset

Las Vegas Strip GP was a crucial weekend for Lando Norris. As the chances to keep the title fight open faded after a tough Brazilian Grand Prix, Norris took some time to wrap up such an incredible season with lots of lessons to learn.

Despite the gap of 62 points from championship leader Max Verstappen, he showed that he was able to leave the frustration behind and focus on the positive sides of the season. Looking back, Lando reflected loudly:

“Do I wish it could have gone a bit further down the line? Sure. But the race for the title was lost in the first six races of the year. That’s when Max dominated, when Red Bull were too far ahead and points got to a gap which was just too difficult to claw back. So I’m proud. I’m happy we brought it as far, and it’s us, no one else.”

No grip

Vegas weekend was challenging, but in the what to expect from a very peculiar track, like Monaco for the surface and no margin of mistakes and Monza for the downforce?   A P6 in Qualifying and Race was not in the agenda, and on a “car difficult to drive”, Norri adapted as quick as possible, doing his best he could, trying also extreme solutions. In these conditions it was challenging to drive, like in other circuits with similar characteristics. On the contrary, there were some races this year when we could extract the best out the car and won races”.

A lucid analysis

Friend outside of the track, Lando’s thought went to Max and their great battles. “My congratulations to Max, he deserves the title; he has no downsides! When he has the quickest car, he dominates, when not, he still finish on the podium, or at worst 5th.

We put him under pressure, he made some mistakes but over the season, so few and this makes him so impressive.
“I am proud of the whole team to put up the fight so long. We were the 4th best team and we had this big gap to catch up. What I bring with me of this incredible season? my first win in F1, my first 3. It’s been me and McLaren. Do you think we could win the championship even with a perfect season? I don’t. I’m happy to finish second.

Lessons learned
Despite seeing his title aspirations disappear, Norris feels he has at least proven to himself he can compete at the very front of the field. “We learned a lot and we can say that we have what it takes. It is the first time in the last six years of Formula 1 when we have had a chance to fight at the front. This is our, and my, first opportunity to do so and my first opportunity to see where I stand”.

Winning Mindset
Embodying the ability to fight constantly at the top comes with experience. You need to go through it to earn it and this is part of the learning curve Lando had to go through.
“I definitely wasn’t at the level I needed to be at the beginning of the year and even at the Miami point of the season”, he confessed, “since the summer break, I feel like I have done a good job and performed very, very well, by far some of the best performances I have done. I wouldn’t change many things that have happened. I still need to make tweaks and improve on things, that is clear”, and he admitted: “For the first time, I am confident to say that I have what I think I need to fight for a championship. That doesn’t mean I’m complete or perfect that is for sure”. The rivals are advised. What we saw in Las Vegas was a mature Lando, able to regroup when times get tough.

The Constructor title in the viewfinder
After a P6 in qualifying session, Norris remained focused on the main target for the whole team: the Constructor’s title. Instead of remaining tied to the outcome of the race, he focused on getting the best possible result for him and the Papaya team. “Verstappen is pretty likely to win the championship, but I’m here to race and do my best in every single race I can, whether Max finishes ahead or not, that’s life. He’s only just ahead of us today”, said the Brit after the qualifying. He remained with his feet on the ground, without changing his approach: “I’ll go out and do my best like I do in every single race. And whatever the outcome is, the outcome is.

Looking forward

The F1 circus head to Doha for the Qatar GP this week. There is not even the time to rest to return in the cockpits on a high speed circuit that suits so well Red Bull. “We remain open because many things have changed compared to last year and track layout seems to suit Red Bull extremely well. Our approach doesn’t change. The target is the Constructor title. Two more races and then we are projected into 2025. Next year we go into the championship with a car we think able to win from round 1. It hasn’t been like this for the past 6 seasons. I’m excited for that”.

Credits photo: McLaren F1 Team