Lando Norris has revealed that he has found it difficult to “just accept” that his dream of becoming Formula 1 World Champion is now “a reality”.
The Brit claimed his maiden Drivers’ title last year in a final round showdown in Abu Dhabi, and holds the honour of bearing the #1 on his McLaren for the 2026 season.
Norris was immediately thrust into a new world of recognition, with celebrations immediately beginning at the team’s Woking facility upon arrival back to the UK.
His title victory came early in December, and with January not even quite yet over, he is back behind the wheel, as close to the start of his title defence as he is to his triumph.
Speaking to the F1 website at this week’s test in Barcelona, Norris explained that time had passed quickly, and still finds it a struggle to allow the reality of his World Champion status to sink in.
“I’m excited for everything,” he said. “I wish I had one more month to lay back and enjoy everything, take everything in.
“It was a few weeks off. It didn’t even feel like a month off. It was a few weeks off of just trying to realise what had happened last year.
“It had become a reality, my dream. I’m still, even now, trying to just accept it and realise that it’s happened.”
However, ever the professional, Norris is back in the saddle and focusing on developing the MCL40 to make it race-ready for the start of the campaign, the first of F1’s new radical regulations cycle.
“But at the same time, it’s back to work and now we’ve got to try and do it all over again,” he said.
“So it makes me happy, it gives me good confidence coming into this season. But it’s so different, such a big challenge with all the regulations, all the changes this year.
“But I feel good. I’m happy I’ve accomplished something huge in my life.”
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