Lando Norris has taken his performance to another level since becoming Formula 1 world champion. With McLaren, wins have come like buses—after failing to win in the first 10 races, two wins have arrived back-to-back. The British driver followed up his first victory of the season in Hungary with a commanding win at the Dutch Grand Prix, boosting McLaren's hopes of a title fightback.
Norris's title defense seemed almost over a few races ago after a disappointing start. But since McLaren brought a major upgrade in Budapest, Norris and the team have soared. He now trails championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli by 83 points, keeping his title hopes alive—though it still feels like a long shot.
Norris arrived in 2026 as a different driver. He is more relaxed, confident, and self-assured. This was evident throughout the Zandvoort weekend, both in his demeanor on track and in his composed answers. "I was driving at a high level in the second half of last year," Norris said. "It's tough to say, but I think the car is trickier to drive this year in some ways. You can see that because the gaps between teammates are often bigger this year than last year."
He added, "I believe I'm able to understand situations better, to understand the car in a better way. It's still horrible to drive, but I'm doing a better job at understanding, relaying to my team, and figuring things out. So it's not just about driving better on track. I'm certainly eliminating my weaknesses on track, and I don't have so many, but it's also how I work off track. For me, yesterday to today is a perfect example of the work we put in overnight that transformed our race and gave me the opportunity to win."
Norris battled self-doubt and anxiety in his early F1 years. The 26-year-old has been remarkably candid about his struggles. Many perceived this as a weakness, but Norris has crafted his vulnerability into a superpower. He has improved both on and off track.
According to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, Norris is now "driving and operating at a very high level in an absolute sense in relation to a Formula 1 world champion." Stella added, "What I like most about his journey in Formula 1 is that he keeps improving. Especially after the start of the 2025 season, something clicked—it's not just a single click, but a way of working with Lando, for Lando, that we are also adopting on Oscar's side now. This approach has led Lando to continuous improvements."
With two consecutive wins, Norris proves that the vulnerability once seen as a weakness has become his greatest weapon. Now, the question is whether he can keep pressuring Antonelli and keep his title hopes alive until the end of the season.
Read Also
Will Buxton menilai GP Belanda sebagai ujian pertama hubungan Lewis Hamilton dan Charles Leclerc di Ferrari. Akankah tim mampu mengelola dinamika ini?
Hiyu Yamakoshi percaya diri bisa bersaing dengan pembalap top setelah musim debut F3 yang impresif bersama Van Amersfoort Racing.
Alpine mempertahankan Franco Colapinto untuk F1 2027. Keputusan konservatif? Analisis dampak pada performa tim dan peluang junior.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!