Lando Norris’ win in Monaco was the McLaren driver’s first since the season opener in Australia — but is it a sign that his World Champion charge is back on?

During the pre-race press conference ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Norris adamantly denied that his focus is on a title, not when there are still plenty of races left to win in 2025.

Lando Norris downplays title talk, “not something I look at”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

There was no doubt that Lando Norris entered the F1 2025 season as the favourite for the championship.

After snatching his first-ever Grand Prix win in Miami, the McLaren driver brought the heat to a dominant Max Verstappen in the latter stages of 2024.

During that time, Norris was realistic about his chances; Verstappen had amassed a huge lead in the early stages of the season, and it would require a Herculean effort from both driver and team to turn the tides.

In 2024, it wasn’t to be — but coming into 2025, there was hope. McLaren had clearly crafted the quickest car in the field, and it had the strongest line-up.

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Norris won the first time out in Australia, but it took until Monaco before he was able to snatch a repeat.

In the meantime, teammate Oscar Piastri assumed the championship lead with four wins, while Verstappen has remained an ever-present threat for victories despite a difficult-to-handle RB21.

The title fight has been close this year, and if Norris were to win this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, he’d launch back into the lead of the drivers’ championship. But is that something he’s striving for specifically?

“I think you ask me this question every week; it’s the same answer,” Norris told media, including PlanetF1.com, in the pre-race FIA press conference.

“Like I say always, it’s a great feeling to be in the lead of the championship and to have more points than everyone.

“But again, it’s not something I look at. It’s not something that changes anything I do day to day, doesn’t change how hard I work or what I try to achieve. I’ll just try and win this weekend, and I’ll try and win in Montreal, then I’ll try and win in Austria.

“It’s got nothing to do with what position I am.”

That was very much Norris’ mindset in the latter stages of 2024: Focus on performing as strongly as possible in each race and a championship could manifest from there.

Even more pressing is the fact that the 2025 title fight is close. The gap between Piastri in the lead and Verstappen in third is a mere 25 points, or, one win.

Norris highlighted that, saying, “I think mathematically, there’s still, like, probably the whole grid can win the championship at the minute. I think there’s plenty of opportunities.

“Max can still win. I think Ferrari, you know, Ferrari, I expect them to get better through the season.

“I mean, yeah, come on. We’re racing Max every weekend. He’s been on the podium several times. He’s won races.

“I mean, he beat us in Imola fair and square because he was quicker.

“So I don’t know what possibly makes you think that it’s only down to me and Oscar.”

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