Lando Norris has admitted he is “annoyed and unhappy” because he feels he can do better and challenge Max Verstappen for a world championship.
Lando Norris has opened up on why he can become “annoyed” in post-race interviews as he sets his sights on becoming a world champion and challenging Max Verstappen.
Norris has made a mixed start to the Formula 1 season. After finishing sixth and eighth in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the 24-year-old was on the podium at the Australian Grand Prix before crossing the line in fifth in Japan last time out. Those results leave him fifth in the Driver Standings on 37 points.
He is already a mammoth 40 points behind runaway leader Verstappen and 18 behind fourth-place Carlos Sainz. Striving to reach the very top is something that motivates Norris, although even he realises that sometimes he can look rather displeased and angry when speaking after a race.
“I am self-critical and I know it can look bad from the outside, absolutely,” he told the Guardian. “I watch my own interviews and I look so annoyed and unhappy. It’s because my mind is whirling, I’m thinking: ‘Why did I make a mistake? What happened if I did this or that? What if I had tried something else?’ But I set high goals for myself, I know what I am capable of, I want to try to achieve great things and I am not going to do that by being complacent.”
Norris is into his sixth season on the Formula 1 circuit with McLaren and despite being a regular name on the track, he doesn’t want to stop there. A strong end to the 2023 season – culminating in four second-place finishes in the last eight races – saw Norris end the campaign in sixth.
However, Norris received backlash for his comments about not wanting to be on the same team as Verstappen after signing a contract extension with McLaren. Critics accused him of being fearful of the Dutch driver, but Norris has since refuted these claims and explained the reasoning behind his statement.
“I have confidence in my ability to win a championship with McLaren, which is why I renewed my contract,” he expressed. “I truly believe that I can compete with Max and provide him with a tough competition.
However, I also acknowledge Max’s skills, so it is a tough task for anyone to challenge him for a world championship while being in his team.
In the past, Max could have joined Mercedes and competed against Lewis [Hamilton], but it might not have been a wise decision.
As a result, he might not be with Red Bull now, and things would have turned out differently.”
“I have no fear of Max whatsoever, in fact, I am thrilled to compete against him.
He is considered one of the best, so I see it as an opportunity to showcase my skills. I am eager to compete with him on equal footing, not just have him easily overtake me with his speed.”