Lando Norris makes defiant title statement as crucial area of improvement revealed

Lando Norris is adamant that he does not require misfortune for Oscar Piastri to become World Champion in 2025.

It is a defiant and positive mindset, aided by Norris’ improved ability to handle adversity. Norris has been hard at work to ensure that a setback does not follow him as he tries to overturn Piastri’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship.

Lando Norris can win the title under his own power

A run of three grand prix wins in four races hauled Norris back into title contention against teammate Piastri. However, disaster struck at Zandvoort, as a late DNF eliminated Norris from second, allowing Piastri to race on to victory and put 34 points between them.

It was a moment McLaren team principal Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown apologised for, though it is not one that Norris stewed over.

“It’s just something that happens. It’s not Andrea’s fault. It’s not Zak’s fault,” Norris told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets.

“We look back on, I think it was 60-something races without a technical failure, without any issues. I think that’s a record for ourselves. It’s something we’re pretty proud about.

“It wasn’t a bad job by anyone. It was just various things coming together and just being unlucky. Andrea, Zak, they apologised because it feels like it’s their behalf to apologise, but it’s not his fault, or Zak’s fault.

“If I lose the championship by those points, then I just keep my chin up, my head held high, and try and do it again [next] year. But you know what? I can’t dwell on those moments too much. It’s not anyone’s direct fault. Even if it was, I just have to take it on chain and move on.”

Norris said that process of moving past Zandvoort was actually an “easy” one, considering he was not at fault.

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris head-to-head in 2025

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

Norris is known to be hard on himself, sometimes too hard after a difficult result or moment. That has seen him work to learn how to move on from rather than allow that disappointment impact his future.

“It’s been one of the things I’ve been working on a lot away from the track, separate from my driving, and just the general stuff,” he said.

“There’s a change, and there’s definitely things I’ve improved on. It doesn’t mean that I don’t get annoyed and frustrated when I don’t do well, and I’ve made make mistakes and I lose out on pole or don’t win races. I think I still get frustrated by those moments, and I still get down and whatever.

“But I think something I’m much better at now is dealing with it, and not letting it affect anything else, whether it’s people around me or my work for the following weekend, my work back in MTC, whatever it might be. I say that’s the biggest thing, is that it doesn’t have consequences for the future.”

Just as well, because looking ahead to the future, Norris declared: “I can still win the championship without anything happening [to Piastri], and that’s the way I wish to do it.”

With eight rounds to go, Piastri is 31 points ahead of Norris at the top of the Drivers’ standings.

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