Lando Norris believes the problems he’s had to overcome through the 2025 Formula 1 season have helped mould him into a better driver than he was 12 months ago.
McLaren’s dominance has seen Norris produce his greatest season to date as he has taken six victories and been on the podium on all but two occasions in 14 races.
Norris went into the campaign tipped as the leading bet to clinch the Drivers’ title, but he has gone into the summer break nine points behind team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Despite prevailing in the season opener in Australia, Norris had to wait until the eighth race in Monaco to win again amid his troubles adapting to the McLaren MCL39.
But while a resurgence in recent weeks has coincided with McLaren introducing a new suspension, Norris has also ascribed the upturn to his work behind the scenes.
Norris, who has beaten Piastri to the top step three times in the last four races, pinpointed how he is now better-equipped to deal with setbacks compared to the past.
Asked where he thinks he has improved the most, Norris told media including Motorsport Week: “It’s always different situations, different moments along the way.
“But I think as a driver I still feel better than I was. It doesn’t mean I always do a better job because the car is quite different this year.
“I’ve had my trickier moments with the car and understanding how to drive it. Yes, it’s a McLaren and it’s still got papaya on it, but it handles pretty differently to how it’s done in previous years. So I’ve had to just adapt to that. It’s not suited me as well and those things, but that’s just tough.
“I’ve had to do what I needed to do, a better job, to get back to being as quick as I need to be, which I feel like I’ve done and I’ve improved on.
“So I think my ability to improve on worse moments has improved. Or ability to improve on certain struggles that you might achieve during a weekend or over a session or a practice, whatever it is.
“Other than that, I think there’s always going to be, for everyone, little things along the way that’s a new experience or you didn’t expect that you wish you could be better on.”
Norris no longer chasing ultimate lap time
Norris has attributed his reduction in errors in qualifying trim to a change of approach, citing that he is no longer aiming to achieve the ultimate lap on every occasion.
“Sometimes this year, even 95 per cent would have been fine,” he acknowledged.
“These are some of my mistakes from earlier on in the season. I mean, I tried before at 101 per cent. Sometimes that’s amazing. Sometimes that’s, I think, as good as you can get.
“That’s what I feel is the optimum of what I, and I think a driver can achieve at times. I do believe that.
“But also at times I should drive at 95 per cent or even 90 per cent and that’s not enough to be on pole or P2 sometimes.
“I do regret trying to be so good at the beginning part of the season. And I think now already, I sometimes settle for a 95 per cent lap and that’s still good enough.”
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