Lando Norris reflects on Mexico’s turning point, where Verstappen’s rare mistake bolstered the McLaren driver’s confidence for future battles.
Lando Norris gained confidence throughout the 2024 Formula 1 season, despite some on-track mistakes. The McLaren F1 driver believes he has learned from those errors and is pleased to reflect positively on the year, particularly regarding what he has learned and the self-confidence he has built.
“Honestly, it’s probably in the toughest moments that you learn the most,” Norris admits. “The hardest times were my battles with Max and some other situations during the season. I think back to Austria, to Silverstone. There are different reasons for each.”
“But none of them made me doubt myself. This season has been my best in terms of performance and personal growth. Was it enough? Probably not, no.”
“But when you look at my qualifying performances, for example, they’ve been almost twice as good as last year, especially compared to the other guys with exactly the same car.”
“So I’ve improved significantly this season. Of course, I’ve lost some things. Maybe there were three starts this year where I lost one or two positions. But it was often positions to Max. Or it was Budapest and a place to Oscar.”
A “turning point” in Mexico against Verstappen
The four-time race winner this year also recalls that among the races he lost, some included battles against Max Verstappen that were not always fair. However, he is pleased that people saw in Mexico that the Dutchman is indeed capable of exceeding limits.
“But none of those moments, when I think back, made me feel like I didn’t have what it takes. Those instances only happened when it was directly against Max. And it’s Max. Facing Max in any condition will always be tricky. No one enjoys racing against Max.”
“I think Mexico was a turning point when it was proven that not everything he does is perfect. I think if we go back to Austin and Turn 12, the majority of people—almost everyone on the grid, whether drivers or people outside—didn’t agree with the penalty I received.”
“Either I shouldn’t have had one, or we both should have. These are small things, but certainly, from a pace perspective, I didn’t doubt myself this year. And I think I’ve definitely gained more confidence.”
Qualifying has been an area where the British driver believes he has made significant progress. Prone to small errors last year, he has managed to avoid them this season, as evidenced by his eight pole positions.
“When I look at qualifying, I remember 12 months ago I ruined my third qualifying lap—a lap that should have put me second—but I had a big slide. I was quite annoyed with myself after that qualifying session. And that’s what everyone talked about at the time.”
“Too many points lost” at the start of the year
Norris also acknowledges that he sometimes had to back down in the face of Verstappen’s intimidation, being the one to avoid collisions: “But that didn’t really happen this year. I completed my qualifying laps. I improved in all those areas.”
“And it was more than just a wheel-to-wheel fight with one of the best drivers in the world. What you don’t see from the outside are those moments where, if I had done certain things, we would have crashed. People on the outside have no idea what it takes and those moments when you choose to lose a battle.”
He also laments McLaren’s disappointing start to the season: “And that’s because of our situation in the first six or seven races of the year. We lost too many points. I was in a position where I couldn’t achieve as much as I wanted and needed.”
“But I’m not using any of that as an excuse. I’m saying I didn’t have what it took this season to challenge Max and do what I needed to do. But it has certainly given me the feeling that if I improve a bit here and a bit there, for the first time, I can confidently say that I have what it takes.”
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Verstappen’s Imperfection Fuels Norris’s Rising Confidence Verstappen’s Imperfection Fuels Norris’s Rising Confidence
