In a few days’ time, Lando Norris can reach the pinnacle of Formula 1.
Before that, however, the McLaren driver had to meet with the media ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Thursday is media day during most F1 race weeks, and this morning at Yas Marina Norris sat next to Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, the other two drivers alive in the Drivers’ Championship race, for the FIA Press Conference prior to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The assembled media pressed all three drivers on what a title would mean and for Norris, the answer was simple.
“I think this has been my whole life. It’s everything I’ve worked towards my whole life,” said Norris in response to a question from Luke Smith of The Athletic. “So, it would mean the world to me. It would mean the world to everyone that’s supported me and pushed me for the last, what is it, like 16 years of my life in terms of trying to get to this point. So, it would mean everything. It would mean my life until now has been a success, and I’ve accomplished that dream I had when I was a kid. Other than that, I don’t know what else to say.
“It’s a reward for a lot of hard work that goes into things, and I think it goes to whoever deserves it the most.”
Norris enters the season finale with the lead in the Drivers’ Championship race, as he sits on 408 points ahead of both Verstappen (396) and Piastri (392). That does give Norris an advantage, as he is the only driver of the three who controls his own destiny. With a finish on the podium, Norris clinches the title, regardless of where both Verstappen and Piastri finish.
While that gives him an advantage, it also means he has the most to lose.
“I guess in terms of position, of course, I have the most to lose because I am the one at the top,” said Norris. “Yeah. And I’ll do my best to stay there till the end of the year, a few more days.”
However, Norris then reframed that issue.
“At the same time, if it doesn’t go my way, then I try again next year. It’ll hurt probably for a little while, but then, yeah, that’s life,” added Norris. “I’ll crack on and try and do better next season. So, I also feel like I have the mentality of ‘I have nothing to lose,’ because it’s just a race for a championship. But in 30 years’ time, I probably won’t think of it that much either way. So, I’m not too bothered. I’ll do the best I can. If it happens, great. If it doesn’t, then I’ll try again next year.”
If he does lose out on what would be his first Drivers’ Championship, Norris has a few moments in mind that hurt his chances.
Canada and China are at the front of that list.
“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. Yeah. China, I’ve been unlucky in qualifying,” described Norris.
Norris was fastest in the single practice session at the Chinese Grand Prix, but qualified sixth for the F1 Sprint race and settled for P8 (and a single point) in the F1 Sprint race. While he recovered to finish second in the Grand Prix, that came after he qualified third behind Piastri and George Russell.
As for the Canadian Grand Prix, Norris was battling with Piastri for position late in the race and made contact with his teammate, crashing out of the race and leaving Montreal without any points.
However, there are other moments, such as a failure at the Dutch Grand Prix where he did not finish the race, or the disqualification at the Las Vegas Grand Prix a few weeks ago that changed the trajectory of the title race.
“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,” said Norris. “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.”
Regardless of how Sunday goes, Norris knows exactly what he is doing on Monday.
Playing golf with his friends.
Only, he hopes to have a “hangover” while doing so after celebrating in the paddock Sunday night.
“For the last three days, just playing some golf and being with my mates and having a good time,” added Norris. “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.”
