Lando Norris put on a masterclass of a drive in the rain-affected 2025 Australian Grand Prix. Claiming the first win of the season in a dominant drive, it’s no surprise that he’s now being eyed for the drivers’ championship. But despite this, the McLaren driver is keen to not let his feelings get the better of him as he tells fans of the sport to “calm down.”
When asked about his feelings surrounding the fact he’s at the top of the drivers’ standings for the first time in his Formula 1 career, he was quick to dismiss any notion that it changes his approach to season.
“It makes no difference for me at the minute, I’m not thinking about it, I don’t really care about it. It shouldn’t change anything I do, it shouldn’t change what the team do. I had one good weekend.
“People need to calm down a little bit. I know I stay focused and I try and do the same here this weekend, but yeah, I probably won’t even think of the championship until at least halfway through the year.”
This response to the media ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix shows a growing maturity in a driver that is determined to focus on immediate performance after a strong 2024 season where the Papaya team won the constructors’ championship for the first time since 1998. That year has undoubtedly shaped his mindset going into this season as a driver that has a chance.
Earlier this year, the Briton confronted the higher expectations surrounding him.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“Last year was a great year because now I [was] on pole quite a bit, how do I deal with those things now – leading the race, how do I deal with those things? I kind of experienced a little bit of everything last year, apart from leading the championship, that’s something I’ve still never done,” he said on The Fast and Curious Podcast.
“But I raced against Max and I came out on top sometimes, he came out behind sometimes, those types of things. So I learned a lot and I think last year set me up very nicely to come into this year and actually be very calm.
“I know there’s a lot more pressure on me and everyone is like ‘now he’s got to do it’. But I’m very relaxed and calm and I feel the most relaxed I’ve ever been, but in a good way and in a ready way.”
