Lando Norris has acknowledged that reducing his error count will be crucial for his 2025 Formula 1 championship hopes. He currently trails teammate Oscar Piastri by 22 points heading into this weekend’s Austrian GP. Norris’ mistakes have been a defining factor in the championship battle so far.
The McLaren driver’s campaign has been set back by a series of costly mistakes. Most notably is his collision with championship leader Piastri during the Canadian GP that ended his race early. These mistakes have consistently cost him valuable championship points throughout the season.
Norris takes responsibility for championship deficit
Speaking ahead of the Austrian GP, Norris was candid about his struggles this season. “I can’t afford to make some of the mistakes that I’ve been making. That’s something I know,” he said.
The McLaren driver continued his admission about his mistakes. “I just want to make the least mistakes possible. It’s not that I can afford to make less or more or whatever, I just need to improve on what I’ve been doing.”
Norris’ mistakes have included starting out of his grid box in Bahrain and a costly qualifying crash in Saudi Arabia. He also underperformed in Q3 sessions in Miami and Imola. These errors have given Piastri crucial advantages in their championship battle.
Championship battle defined by execution
With Piastri leading the drivers’ championship, Norris recognizes their championship fight will be decided by precision. The mistakes made by Norris versus Piastri’s consistency has defined their battle so far.
“I’ve been making more mistakes and I’ve been behind. That’s been clear,” Norris admitted. “It’s very close between us. Oscar’s certainly been a bit more comfortable than I have this season, and that’s the way it is. And I’ve had to try and improve and step up more than what I’ve had to in the past, simply because of some of the struggles and difficulties that I’ve had with the car this year.”
The McLaren driver acknowledged the dual responsibility between team and driver. “The team need to give me a car and give me things to try and unlock that ability but it’s also my job to drive whatever car I get given. It’s been tough and Oscar’s been doing a good job. It’s been exciting to see how close it is, and good for the team as well, because I think that unlocks another step that not many other teams have. But yeah, at the minute, that’s how I would probably say it.“
The statistics show the impact of Norris’ mistakes on the championship standings. Piastri has won five races to Norris’ two, with four poles compared to Norris’ two after 10 races.
Norris addresses team after Canadian GP collision
The collision between the McLaren teammates in Canada required delicate handling from team management. The British driver revealed that his immediate acceptance of responsibility helped maintain team harmony.
“There’s been good understanding of everything from my side and explaining that to the team. I made it clear from the immediate moment that I misjudged it and I took the fault for it,” Norris explained. The McLaren driver emphasized the importance of acknowledging his mistakes immediately, adding “Of course, not the most joyful conversations, but conversations that needed to be had. We all know what rule number one was, and continues and will always be.“
Norris reflected on the team dynamics and trust between the drivers. “That’s a good example for us as a team. It’s also between the trust and the honesty that Oscar and I have for one another,” he said.
“The trust in the honesty that Oscar and I have for one another, it’s important that we keep it up, because we don’t want to have the downfall that we know many other teams have had in the past,” he noted. “We want to race each other fair and hard and on the limit, and not have a repeat of what happened last time out.“
Despite the setback, Norris believes owning up to his mistakes strengthened the team, preventing a potential division within McLaren’s championship hopes. “Many things have come out stronger than I would say they were prior to the weekend, which you might not expect, but I think it’s a good outcome,” Norris stated.
The emotional toll of the collision was significant for Norris. “My team means everything to me. The people that I’ve grown up with, the people that have given me more opportunity in Formula 1,” he said “So, it was a tough couple of days, but also I think something I got better at is dealing with those moments and speaking to Andrea, my team around me, Zak [Brown], and trying to move on as quickly as possible was very important. So yeah, I’ve come into this weekend with that in the past, and [ready to] go again.”
Austrian GP presents redemption opportunity
The Red Bull Ring circuit offers Norris a chance to reduce his mistakes count. McLaren has historically performed well at the Austrian venue. However, the team faces stiff competition from Red Bull on their home circuit.
“It’s been one of our better ones in the past,” Norris said. “It’s also been a very good one for Red Bull and for Max. They were on pole by four and a half tenths last year. We expect to be good, but maybe struggle a little bit in qualifying, comparing to some of our competitors.”
Both McLaren drivers will have access to car upgrades this weekend. The updates include suspension tweaks aimed at improving Norris’s confidence in the car. This could help reduce future mistakes.
“It’s more something to try and give me a better feeling,” Norris explained. “Rather than to unlock any more performance from the car. But hopefully a better feeling can in some way unlock performance. Another weekend for us to judge that and for me to get a feeling on it in a more normal track compared to Canada.“
Championship outlook remains positive
Despite his current deficit due to his mistakes, the McLaren driver maintains an optimistic outlook. “There is a very long way in the season, so I’m not worried about anything,” Norris said.
However, he acknowledges the cost of his mistakes so far, “I know it’s always never a good thing to lose out on points, no matter what race it is. Obviously, last time out, I was the only one who lost the points. And I’ve paid a price for misjudging things like I did.”
The current 22 point gap between Norris and Piastri represents a significant but not unconquerable challenge. With McLaren currently having the strongest car on the grid, both drivers have genuine championship aspirations.
Minimizing errors will be crucial for the remainder of the season. The Austrian GP provides an immediate opportunity to Norris to demonstrate improved consistency and challenge Piastri’s championship lead.
