Norris: Pressure ‘doesn’t have much of an effect’

Lando Norris has said that his past struggles have helped him when coming under recent pressure.

The McLaren driver picked up his first Formula 1 victory at the Miami Grand Prix in May and added a second at Zandvoort last weekend. As a result, the 24-year-old became the third driver to have won multiple races this season alongside Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Another blockbuster Formula 1 season ?

The 2024 multi-winners' club welcomes a new member, Lando Norris ?#F1 pic.twitter.com/pw8pGQCcx9

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2024

Continuing the charge

With Red Bull not currently enjoying their usual domination, Norris has emerged as a genuine challenger to Verstappen at the summit of the World Drivers’ Championship Standings. The pair have fought ferociously at the front of the field on several occasions in 2024, most notably in Austria where they collided at turn three. However, despite the heated battles, Norris assures he is calm and collected when stepping into the cockpit. When asked by F1 media about the pressure that comes during those intense fights, the Briton replied:

“I think, because I struggled a bit with it in the past, I feel like I’m able to deal with it in a much better way now, and therefore it doesn’t have much of an effect.

“There still is [pressure] and I know the team are probably going to feel a bit more pressure, and externally there will be more pressure on me, but it’s also up to me to deal with it in the way that I feel best.

“At the same time, I don’t really feel it that much. I’m comfortable that I just have to go out and drive and that’s all I can do really, not think about these external things. The place I’m in now, fighting for wins and fighting in the championship, honestly I feel like it’s another weekend.”

Norris also went on to address the championship fight and the effort that both himself and McLaren are putting in to close the gap:

“We’re pushing hard every weekend, our goal is to catch in both, especially from a constructors’ [standings] side it looks a lot more doable than the drivers’ [standings] side.

“But I’m doing my best, the team’s doing their best and that’s all we can hope for.”

After only 15 races, Norris has already tallied 225 points, his highest ever in a single F1 season.

The only way is up for @LandoNorris ☝️#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/xz4sYMnCMA

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 25, 2024

The bigger picture

With Norris claiming both the race win and fastest lap in Zandvoort, the gap between himself and Verstappen in the World Drivers’ Championship Standings was reduced by a further eight points. Ultimately, it could too little too late for the British driver, who still sits 70 points off top spot with only nine races remaining. However, the World Constructors’ Championship is still firmly up for grabs.

Get the popcorn ready ??#F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/5v3wtXigDq

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 29, 2024

Due to Verstappen not winning at his previous rate and his teammate Sergio Perez barely scraping into the points on many occasions, the Austrian team have seen their lead diminish in recent months. After ten races, they sat 93 points above McLaren in the standings, a figure which has reduced by 63 in the following five races. There is no doubt that McLaren are currently the strongest team on the field and if they continue their current trajectory, they could be on course to win their first Constructors’ Championship since 1998.

Feature Image Credit: (Photo by Luca Rossini/NurPhoto via Getty Images)