Norris, calm about Qatar: “It doesn’t change anything” despite the threat

Lando Norris Keeps Calm Ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix

DOHA – Lando Norris, McLaren driver, remains calm and focused on the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix, where he could secure his first world championship. Despite the pressure, Norris assures that he feels as always, ready to compete. The British driver considers his teammate, Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen as equal threats, despite their different performances this season. Norris leads with a 24-point advantage over Piastri and Verstappen, as the penultimate race of 2025 approaches. The recent disqualification of McLaren in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, due to irregularities in the wear of the planks of their single-seaters, was a hard blow for the team. Norris admitted that the result was disappointing, but he has managed to put it behind him and focus on the future.

“Of course it hurts. There’s a lot of effort that goes in every weekend from everyone, including myself, and I certainly felt that effort disappeared very quickly… Everyone at McLaren feels disappointed with what we had as a result and we’re all disappointed… but it was actually quite easy for me to move on and take a few days off and come to this weekend”.

Lando Norris

During Thursday’s media day, Norris appeared relaxed and confident, assuring that he has managed to isolate himself from the pressure. He has enjoyed a few days of rest, playing golf and paddle tennis, and taking advantage of the warm weather.

Norris also commented on Verstappen’s good performance in the second half of the season. McLaren reiterated that it will not implement team orders to slow down Verstappen until one of its drivers is on the podium. Despite the difference in the performance of his rivals, Norris sees them both as a real threat to his title aspirations. He stated that they are both equally competitive and strong, and that he is excited to compete with them on the track. Norris pointed out that his advantage over Piastri is the same as before the race in Nevada, so he doesn’t feel the need to change his approach. He considers Red Bull a great team and a great competitor, and expects them to remain strong in the upcoming races.