McLaren are about to start a Formula 1 season as the favourites to win both championships for the first time in decades.
Ever since Lewis Hamilton won the drivers’ championship for McLaren in 2008, the Woking-based outfit have struggled to live up to expectations.
That was until last year when Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finally delivered a much-coveted title for the team at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Both drivers won their first Grand Prix in 2024 but couldn’t overcome the advantage Red Bull star Max Verstappen had built up at the beginning of the campaign.
However, McLaren had the fastest car during pre-season testing and unless Red Bull were hiding a lot of performance in Bahrain, Verstappen will be starting on the back foot.
Norris won four races in 2024 but potentially left plenty of points on the table for a variety of reasons.
His performances at Zandvoort and in Abu Dhabi were superb, but he clashed with Verstappen in Austria, Austin and Mexico City, missing out on potential victories at all three tracks as a result.
Damon Hill was speaking to the Daily Mail about Norris and while he believes he has what it takes to win the championship this season, he’s warned him about not falling into one trap that could end his title hopes.
Damon Hill tells Lando Norris not to fall into Max Verstappen ‘trap’ again
Asked about Norris’ chance to win the title, Hill explained: “I still think he can beat Oscar.
“Oscar is brilliant, but Lando has pulled out a bit extra when needed. Oscar is talented but Lando is a force.
“I think he fell into the trap last year of thinking when going up against Max that he was racing against his mate.
“Actually, despite their friendship, he was taking on his worst enemy. And in Max’s mind when he is driving there is just Max.
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“Lando blames himself when he makes mistakes. He is very hard on himself. He is not happy if he doesn’t think he has got 100 per cent out of his potential. It is a hallmark of a great driver. I also like his personality. It is very appealing.
“Because I live in Guildford, McLaren are my local team. I would like to see them do well, but not to be dominant. I would prefer it to be a hard fight, good for the fans.
“Formula 1 is so much more complex than when I was driving. It was relatively simple then.
“You would get radio messages occasionally. But often nobody had any idea of what to say to help.
“Now the information comes quick and fast. Lando is one of those drivers who can take in the information without missing a beat.”
| Lando Norris | Max Verstappen | |
| Pole positions | 8 | 8 |
| Fastest laps | 6 | 3 |
| Podiums | 13 | 14 |
| Wins | 4 | 9 |
| Points | 374 | 437 |
| Championship | 2nd | 1st |
Helmut Marko warns Max Verstappen about Lando Norris’ F1 title chances
Although McLaren appeared to have the best race simulation pace in Bahrain, the Australian Grand Prix presents a very different challenge.
Norris and Piastri won’t be getting ahead of themselves, particularly as the calibre of the drivers challenging them this season is extraordinary.
Helmut Marko has been critical of Norris in the past, suggesting he wasn’t mature enough to challenge Verstappen last season.
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As Hill pointed out, Norris is incredibly self-critical and needs to make sure he takes nothing for granted in his fight against the Dutchman.
However, Marko admits Norris is now Verstappen’s biggest rival going into 2025 which is high praise from the veteran Austrian.
The 25-year-old must make sure he doesn’t allow the four-time world champion to build up another healthy lead in the championship.
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