Norris on title battle with Verstappen: 'I know that will change'
F1 News
- Jeroen Immink
For the first time in his still young career, Lando Norris is competing for Grand Prix victories and perhaps a Formula 1 world title. Currently, the Englishman is still 62 points behind Max Verstappen, but has a much better car, so anything is still possible. The always-smiley Norris also says he has become a lot more serious now that things are serious.
Norris: 'I wanted to be someone else'
Asked if Norris has changed in terms of personality over the years, the Briton nodded in agreement. "I think it's evident, and I feel within myself, I feel like I have changed a lot since I've come into Formula 1. I don't know whether people want to say it's in good ways or bad ways or whatever. I think, at the end of the day, the main thing is I'm still myself," said the 24-year-old McLaren driver.
"I'm happy to disappoint people and give my own opinion, whether it's right or wrong sometimes. I almost cared, I think, too much when I came into Formula 1, and not in a bad way, but I cared almost more about other people's opinions and thoughts rather than just doing my own stuff and cracking on and being myself. Not that I ever... I wanted to be someone different or do something different, but I just feel like over time and with pressure and with focus on doing the job I have to do, I just found a better balance of life, and I probably enjoy my time away from the track more now, probably in a different way to what I did back then," Norris added.
Balance gives Norris more focus
Unlike Norris' first few seasons, the Briton is now performing more consistently than in previous years. The McLaren driver himself had an explanation for this. "The best way is just a better balance of life, whether I'm here working and I'm focused on doing what I want to do, which is win and to do the best job I can for my team, and a balance of going home and being able to disconnect and just enjoy my personal life."
So now that Norris is in a battle with Verstappen, the Brit looks many times more serious than before. This season, he also managed to win a Grand Prix for the first time and this encourages the McLaren driver. Norris' mentality has therefore changed. "I know that'll change, and I feel like when I see pictures and I see videos of who I was and what I did, even 2019, 2020, 2021, I do look at myself and see things and I'm like, ‘Oh, I was very different back then to how I am now," the Brit concluded.
Trailing by 62 points, but with eight races to go, anything seems possible for Norris. In doing so, he is also fighting for the constructors' championship with McLaren and they have managed to close the gap to Red Bull to eight points difference.
This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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