Lando Norris has recognised the onus is on him to overcome his issues with McLaren’s 2025 car to minimise the mistakes that have hurt his Formula 1 title chances.
Norris came into this season billed as the favourite to win the Drivers’ Championship, but he enters the Austrian Grand Prix 22 points behind team-mate Oscar Piastri.
The Briton has been made to rue an incident-riddled campaign up to this point as various errors over one lap have undermined the promise he has shown in race trim.
Norris was condemned to damage limitation drives in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, while McLaren’s dominant edge ensured Piastri capitalised to win on both occasions.
And while he looked to have turned a corner when he converted pole position in Monaco, Norris came up short in Spain and endured a disastrous weekend in Canada.
Norris paid the price last time out at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as a miscalculation in his attempt to overtake Piastri culminated in an incident that curtailed his race.
The eventual late-race clash with his team-mate came about due to Norris blundering two timed laps in Q3, resigning him to lining up down the order in seventh place.
But although he has again highlighted his unease with the MCL39’s inherent “numbness” on the front axle, Norris has accepted the emphasis is more on him to adapt.
“I’ve been making more mistakes and I’ve been behind, so I think that’s been clear,” Norris, who has two victories to Piastri’s five in 2025, acknowledged.
“I think it’s very close between us. Oscar’s certainly been a bit more comfortable than I have this season, and that’s the way it is.
“And I’ve had to try and improve and step up more than what I’ve had to in the past, simply because of some of the struggles and difficulties that I’ve had with the car this year.
“But it’s also my job to drive whatever car I get given. So yes, it’s been tough, and Oscar’s been doing a good job.
“It’s been exciting to see how close it is, and good for the team as well, because I think that unlocks another step that not many other teams have.
“But yeah, at the minute, that’s how I would probably say it.”
McLaren drivers permitted to continue racing
Like Piastri, Norris, who apologised to the Australian post-race in Montreal, has insisted the McLaren duo have been permitted to continue racing despite the collision.
“Everything is the same,” he concurred. “One of the lessons was me taking accountability, which I did in the moment. It sets a good example for us as a team.
“Between the trust and honesty that Oscar and I have for each other, it’s important we keep that up. We stay strong.
“We don’t want to have the downfall that we know many other teams have had in the past.
“We want to race each other fair and hard, and on the limit, and not have a repeat of what happened.”
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