Lando Norris, the outstanding driver, has expressed his desire to conquer the world championship with an impressive style, despite acknowledging his advantageous position at the top of the standings, which gives him “control” of the competition.
Norris leads his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, by 24 points, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 49 points, with 83 points still up for grabs as the Formula 1 season reaches its climax.
The British driver has the possibility of securing his first title even if he finishes second behind Piastri in the remaining three races of the year, starting at this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
What has worked so well for me recently is to go all in, stay away from problems and chaos. It’s almost a safer bet. Therefore, protecting my lead in the championship is not the right mentality. I come here to win. I will go to the next race in Qatar to win. I will still treat it as if I were not in a championship and that is the mentality I will have.
Lando Norris
Norris added: “Of course, I feel a little more in control, but nothing changes because of the points I have”.Lando Norris lidera el campeonato de F1 por 24 puntos. Simon Galloway/LAT ImagesNorris was 34 points behind Piastri when his engine failed at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort at the end of August.
However, he has arrived for Saturday’s night race on the Strip as the most in-form driver on the grid, with consecutive victories from pole position in Mexico and Brazil.
When asked about the turning point in his campaign, Norris, who turned 26 last week, commented: “It’s hard not to do a better job than I was doing at the start of the season.”
And he added: “I have a very strong group of people around me to support me, guide me, and help me, whether I’ve had a good weekend or a bad weekend. I’m also more positive and less negative when I have bad days and bad sessions. And I believe in myself that I can change it. I’ve done it many times, and that’s a very reassuring feeling that I need.”
Verstappen is competing to emulate Michael Schumacher by winning five consecutive titles, but, although mathematically still in the running, he is two victories away from Norris.
“I’m very far behind and there’s not much I can do,” Verstappen said. “We need a lot of luck until the end, so personally I’m not thinking much about that.”
