Norris: McLaren must make winning 'easier' to stay on top
Lando Norris has acknowledged that McLaren must eliminate self-inflicted difficulties if it is to sustain its rise to Formula 1 dominance and challenge for the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships in 2025.
Nail-biting, difficult races often characterized McLaren’s successful but challenging 2024 campaign.
But Norris emphasized the need for his team to execute with greater consistency as they aim to solidify their position at the head of the field.
‘We Want to Win Easily’
Last year, McLaren secured its first Constructors’ Championship since 1998, thanks to Norris claiming a season-ending victory in Abu Dhabi that allowed team papaya to narrowly edge out Ferrari, with Red Bull concluding its year third in the standings.
However, Max Verstappen’s dominance in the Drivers’ Championship, even with a mid-season dip, highlighted areas where McLaren needed to improve.
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Norris' maiden win in Miami, coinciding with significant upgrades to the MCL38, proved the car's potential.
But a combination of driver errors and strategic mishaps prevented the Woking-based outfit from fully capitalizing on their advantage.
This led Norris to reflect on the nature of their victories and express a clear desire for change to make race wins less arduous.
“I think one thing we’ve realised as a team is now we’re there [at the front] we want to make it easy for ourselves,” Norris said, speaking in an interview conducted by McLaren sponsor Mastercard this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“We want to keep going so that we can win easily these races and not have them as difficult as they were last year.”
Chasing More: McLaren's Relentless Drive
Despite clinching the Constructors’ Championship, Norris revealed that McLaren has resisted the temptation to grow complacent.
Instead, the team has redoubled its efforts to ensure it remains competitive in the face of intensifying competition.
“So the team have remained very focussed,” Norris explained. “It was easy for all of them to get back and just go ‘we’re good, we’ve done it now, let’s just relax.’
“They’ve done the opposite. They’ve gone ‘we want even more’ and they’ve worked even harder to try and find new things for this year.
“So I think they’ve turned these expectations into positive things, into more motivation and more drive to want it again.”
This renewed determination aligns with Norris’ personal ambition to claim the Drivers’ Championship – a title he narrowly missed in 2024 but now believes is within reach.
“For myself, as much as I want to win the Constructors every single year, I also want that selfish one, to win the Drivers’ Championship,” he admitted.
“You need a good team behind you, and I think that’s exactly what I’ve got.
“I came close-ish last year. I was still always a bit far behind, but I could smell it, and I had that feeling of like, ‘okay, this is kind of what it’s like.’”
Focus on Improvement for 2025
Having learned from the pressures of a championship battle, Norris is resolute in his quest to refine his performance and capitalize on McLaren’s advancements in 2025.
“It [the title in 2024] was within reach,” he reflected. “This year I need to fix a few things, work on some things and come back stronger, and that’s what I’m ready to do.”
While Norris’ drive and McLaren’s ambition have created high expectations, the team’s ability to minimize errors and convert its competitive car into consistent victories will ultimately determine if those dreams can be realized.
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