Lando Norris is fired up and focused on the 2025 Formula 1 season, as he enters the campaign with renewed ambition and a clear goal: to secure his first World Championship title. After a career-best 2024 season, where he helped McLaren secure their first Constructors’ Championship since 1998, Norris is adamant that there are no excuses for his team not to be fighting for the top positions from the outset of the new season.
While McLaren enjoyed significant success last year, Norris admits that Red Bull’s dominance early in the season left him with too much ground to recover. Despite finishing as the runner-up to Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship, Norris remains confident that the team is well-equipped to battle for the title this year.
“No Excuses” for 2025
At the F1 75 LIVE event in London’s O2 Arena, Norris told reporters, “After last year I think we kind of have no excuses, I guess. In the past we’ve had our fair share, but honest and true excuses. I think this year we kind of don’t have any, we have nothing to hide behind. We proved last year we have everything we need and everything it takes to fight at the top and be the best.”
Norris acknowledged that if McLaren isn’t at the front from the start of 2025, it will be down to the team not doing a good enough job. “If we’re not at the beginning of the season then we’re just not good enough,” he added. “But that’s certainly not how we’re thinking of things, that’s not how our mentality’s been.” The team has already begun their preparations for the new season, with the focus now on ensuring they start 2025 as strong as possible.
McLaren’s Strong Foundation and Driver Confidence
McLaren’s success last season was largely due to the team’s ability to provide Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri with a car capable of challenging for victories. Norris emphasized the importance of having a competitive car to back up their ambitions. “A lot of what Formula 1 is, is having a car that can compete. I think we both as drivers proved a lot last year in ourselves and in each other of what we’re capable of doing,” Norris explained. “When we do have a car that’s capable of fighting for wins and championships, we’re able to maximise it.”
Norris also expressed optimism for the upcoming season, particularly following the shakedown of McLaren’s 2025 car at Silverstone. With pre-season testing in Bahrain on the horizon, he is confident that the team is ready to build on last year’s performance. “We’re quietly confident that we can start this season off in the best way and much better than we’ve done over the last six or seven years,” Norris said.
Cautiously Optimistic but Focused on Progress
Despite his optimism, Norris acknowledged that McLaren had occasionally gotten ahead of themselves in previous pre-seasons. “Maybe in the past we’ve got ahead of ourselves at times before pre-season, so we’re definitely not doing that,” he said. The focus now is on staying grounded and ensuring that the team maintains its momentum. “We’re excited for this challenge this season,” Norris added, with the entire team equally energized and prepared for what’s ahead.
Norris Cautions Against Underestimating Lewis Hamilton in 2025
With Lewis Hamilton set to join Ferrari for the 2025 season, Norris warned against writing off the seven-time World Champion‘s chances of challenging for the title. “Dismissing Hamilton’s chances is a bit silly,” Norris said. As Hamilton enters his first season with Ferrari, he remains one of the most talented and experienced drivers on the grid, and Norris respects the challenges he will present in the fight for the title.
Having come so close to the 2024 Championship, Norris enters 2025 as one of the favorites to challenge Verstappen and Red Bull. The competition will be fierce, but McLaren‘s rise to prominence last year means Norris is ready to make a serious push for his first-ever Formula 1 title.