Lando Norris says he’ll take elevated self-belief from this season into the Components 1 drivers’ championship battle in 2025.
McLaren gained the constructors’ championship on account of Norris’ victory within the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, however Norris himself fell out of title competition for the drivers’ crown in Las Vegas two races earlier. With Max Verstappen securing a fourth straight championship, Norris says he has discovered in 2024 that he has the instruments to win a title and is motivated by the concept of having the ability to set such a goal from the beginning of subsequent season.
“I believe the one factor I’ve discovered this yr might be to imagine in myself a bit extra,” Norris mentioned. “I’ve definitely not come out on high as typically as I might have appreciated in sure moments as a driver, particularly in my fights towards Max.
“As a lot because it hurts typically, I’m in all probability pleased about it now that I’m going to enter subsequent season realizing that I can battle. And I do know myself –extra and higher than anybody — what I want to enhance on, the place I’m not robust sufficient, the place I’m robust sufficient.
“I’m at all times open for criticism, issues like that, however I’m the one who is aware of higher than the others, proper? So not in an conceited manner or a egocentric manner, however I do know that I’ve to enhance in numerous areas and sure issues.
“I really feel like I’ve already completed that quite a bit within the final three, 4, 5 races. I really feel like I’ve delivered some very robust outcomes. However on the entire, subsequent yr is hopefully a yr the place I can go in and determine earlier than the primary race we’re going to battle for a championship. We’ve not ever considered that.
“We’ve not even had the sensation of it from a staff perspective and in addition for me as a driver. So hopefully subsequent yr is that yr. We clearly have numerous work to do — Ferrari are going to be pushing loads.”
Norris offered a message on staff radio after successful in Abu Dhabi, saying, “Subsequent yr goes to be my yr too” and he says the boldness he has taken from 2024 leads him to imagine he can ship on that declare.
“I fancied it already this yr however it was just a bit too late,” he mentioned. “I positively have had issues to enhance on and to look again on and to try to appropriate and to enhance, however nonetheless I believe the factor that I’ve discovered and gained essentially the most this yr is confidence in myself.
“It sounds quite simple, I’ve simply at all times been fairly the other sort of man — I must exit and show it to myself earlier than I need to begin believing something. This yr I’ve discovered that. Yeah, I made some errors and I didn’t give a good-enough battle to Max, however it was effort and the one factor I’ve discovered from it’s I’ve what it takes.
“That’s not an overconfident saying. That’s ‘I do know I made my errors, I do know what I’m able to doing, and I do know if I can enhance on these items it’s positively attainable.’ So I’m excited. As a lot as I need this season now to finish and to go and have a vacation, I’m additionally already trying ahead to subsequent yr.”
