Lando Norris has admitted that the first part of his 2025 F1 campaign fell short of expectations, describing his early-season form as “not good enough” and “pretty average” before recent improvements.
The McLaren driver appeared to start the year on a high, claiming victory in a dramatic, rain-affected Australian Grand Prix back in March. But while team-mate Oscar Piastri went on a dominant run with four wins in the next six F1 races, Norris had to wait until Monaco in Round 8 to return to the top step of the podium.
Tensions flared in Canada two rounds later when a late-race clash between the pair ended Norris’s race and left Piastri salvaging fourth. Norris accepted responsibility for the incident.
Since then, however, Norris has enjoyed a resurgence. Beginning with the Austrian Grand Prix in Round 11, he has added three more wins to his tally. His latest triumph in Hungary closed the gap in the F1 drivers’ championship to just nine points behind Piastri.
How did Norris bounce back?
Reflecting on his form ahead of the weekend in Hungary, Norris said:
“Just what I’ve been doing really over the last month, two months.
“Prior to that, [it was] not good enough, so in a harsh way, I would say I was pretty average before then. Since then, I think things have been a lot stronger.
“I still want more, still need to be a lot better and I’m not as good as where I would like to be, but a lot of improvements have been made.
“I think I’m in a much better place, I’m happier with the car – things like that. I’ve been working hard but I can do a lot more than I have been doing, so, for that reason, just more of the progress that I have been making.”
Social Media detox helped the McLaren driver
Earlier this year, Norris revealed he had been limiting his use of social media, finding the change allowed him to focus on “things that are productive.”
With the F1 summer break now underway, Norris explained that his plans for 2025 won’t stray far from past years:
“It’s not going to be that different. I’m still on social media every now and then, I’m still going to go and have a good time with my friends in different places, and we’re going to have a little golf trip and do different things.
“So really, it’s not any different to what I’ve done the last few years, which is a good thing. It shouldn’t be any different. There’s no reason it should be any different.
“I still have the priorities of making sure I come back more prepared than ever and in a better way than I could possibly be, but for the same sake, I should treat it no different to how I have done before, which is that Formula 1 is the priority, and I make sure I’m in the best shape I can be for that.”
Norris’ win in Hungary marked his fifth of the season, a statement that he remains firmly in the hunt for the F1 championship heading into the second half of the year.
