McLaren driver Lando Norris leads the Drivers’ Championship by 12 points from Max Verstappen coming into the F1 Abu Dhabi GP. During the drivers’ press conference, the Briton discussed how he feels heading into the final race of the season and how he is dealing with the pressure.
Norris reflects on his 2025 season with McLaren and highlights the incidents that could cost him the championship
Lando Norris has had a good season, however there have been multiple incidents that lost the 26 year old a large amount of points. Both McLaren drivers were disqualified from the F1 Las Vegas GP due to excessive plank wear. Norris lost 18 points after the disqualifaction cost him P2, decreasing his comfortable lead heading into the final two rounds.
Norris also suffered an engine failure in the Dutch GP with seven laps to go from P2, resulting in a DNF. His McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri went on to win the race.
However, Lando Norris has also made a few mistakes of his own, including his late crash during the Canadian GP. Norris attempted to make a move on the Australian by squeezing himself against the pitwall. This move forced the Brit to retire after sustaining too much damage.
“I mean, there’s always little things along the way. Of course, there are probably some more obvious ones from my side. You know, if I go back to Canada, probably being the most like ‘just put my hands up in the air – I messed up’. It cost me a good amount of points. China, I’ve been unlucky in qualifying.
“And then just some little things along the way. It’s probably like that for everyone. There certainly is for everyone. Otherwise, there’s some other bits where, probably the same for all of us here, at times, you get a bit unlucky, whether it was the DNF in Zandvoort or the disqualification. That’s not unlucky. That’s just not doing a good enough job as a team. But the disqualification in Vegas as well cost me a good amount of points.
“So yeah, I wouldn’t say anything obvious. It was just a couple of parts from my side that I have to put my hands up and admit I didn’t do a very good job. And then a couple from us as a team where we have to admit we also didn’t do a good enough job, including last weekend. But that’s probably about it.”
“I don’t think it’s necessarily a fair question.” Norris on team orders and if he expects Piastri to let him pass
Throughout the 2025 season, McLaren have allowed their drivers race to ensure a fair fight for the Drivers Championship. However, with Verstappen in P2, there is now a scenario where the Red Bull driver could win if he finishes P1 and Norris P4 or below. If Piastri was running in P3, he would be out of contention for the championship.
During the drivers’ press conference at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP, Norris discussed whether he expects and wants his McLaren teammate to let him pass if this scenario, or one similar occurs. Lando Norris admits that while he’d appreciate it, he wouldn’t ask.
“No. Not been discussed. And honestly, I mean, I would love it, but I don’t think I would ask it. Because… I don’t know, it’s up to Oscar if he would allow it, you know?
“I don’t think it’s necessarily down to me. It’s the same if it’s the other way around. Would I be willing to or not? Personally, I think I would just because I feel like I’m always like that, and that’s just how I am. But yeah, it’s not really up to me. I’m not going to ask it. I don’t want to ask it because I don’t think it’s necessarily a fair question.
“And at the same time, if that’s how it ends and Max wins, then well, that’s it. Congrats to him and I look forward to next year. It doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change my life. So, he will deserve it over us.”
Lando Norris discusses how he is dealing with the pressure ahead of the F1 Abu Dhabi GP
Norris is heading into the Abu Dhabi GP with the best chances of winning the Drivers’ Championship. He is 12 points ahead of Verstappen and 16 ahead of Piastri. However, being in the running to win the F1 Championship comes with a lot of pressure, especially for Norris and Piastri who have never been in this position before.
The young Briton stated that even though there has been lots of pressure on him as the season comes to an end, he is still comfortable in the car and is trying not to think about it.
“Similar. I know I’ve obviously not been in this situation before, so pretty different, I guess, for both of us. But at the minute, I feel good. Like, I really don’t think of it at all until you guys ask it all the time. So, it’s trying to avoid you guys as much as possible! But that’s also part of the job.
“So, it’s nothing new. It’s nothing that shocks me. Whatever. I come into the weekend not thinking of it. For the last three days, just playing some golf and being with my mates and having a good time. And I look forward to doing that on Monday, whether I’m hungover or not. So, yeah, really it is the same, and I think it’ll be the same on track as how I’ve been the last few weeks.
“As much as there’s been pressure the last few weeks, I’ve still felt comfortable and I still feel good in the car. So, just yeah. All good.”
The end of the 2025 F1 season in Abu Dhabi could see a new champion in the sport with Norris and Piastri, or Max Verstappen could claim his 5th consecutive title.
