Jenson Button Reveals the Trait That Almost Cost Lando Norris the F1 Title

Formula 1, Sportrik Media – Lando Norris secured the Formula 1 world championship in 2025 with McLaren F1 Team, but former champion Jenson Button believes there was one personal trait that nearly derailed the Briton’s title bid.

Button, the 2009 world champion and now one of the most respected voices in the paddock, has admitted that Norris’ emotional openness initially made him doubt whether the McLaren driver could survive the psychological demands of a championship fight. With pressure coming not only from Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing but also from team-mate Oscar Piastri, Norris had to manage one of the most intense internal rivalries in Formula 1.

During the first half of the 2025 season, Norris even found himself trailing Piastri in the standings as McLaren balanced its controversial “papaya rules” to avoid favouring either driver. That environment, Button suggested, was exactly the type of situation that could have exposed Norris’ emotional vulnerability, particularly when results did not immediately match expectations.

Yet Button was equally clear that Norris’ underlying ability has never been in question. He recalled Norris’ first test for McLaren in Hungary, where the young Briton was instantly quick and showed the raw speed that would later make him a championship contender. What remained uncertain was whether he could combine that talent with the mental control required to win a season-long battle.

Norris’ 2025 campaign ultimately answered that question. After winning the season opener in Australia, he endured a long winless spell before regaining momentum in Monaco. From there he built a decisive run of victories in Austria, Great Britain, Hungary, Mexico and Brazil, allowing him to edge Verstappen by just two points in one of the closest title fights of the modern era.

With the title now secured, Norris and Piastri will remain together as McLaren prepares for the all-new 2026 regulations. The Woking-based team is set to unveil its 2026 challenger on 9 February, a key moment as it attempts to translate its 2025 dominance into the next technical era.

Before that, the launch season begins on 15 January in the United States, when Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls reveal their 2026 liveries. Pre-season testing will then run behind closed doors at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from 26–30 January, setting the stage for the first true comparisons of the new cars.

For Norris, the 2026 season will test whether the emotional intensity that once threatened to undermine him has now become a competitive strength — a transformation that continues to be followed closely by Sportrik Media at https://sportrik.com.