Lando Norris says he’ll take elevated self-belief from this season into the System 1 drivers’ championship combat in 2025.
McLaren gained the constructors’ championship on account of Norris’ victory within the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, however Norris himself fell out of title competition for the drivers’ crown in Las Vegas two races earlier. With Max Verstappen securing a fourth straight championship, Norris says he has discovered in 2024 that he has the instruments to win a title and is motivated by the concept of having the ability to set such a goal from the beginning of subsequent season.
“I feel the one factor I’ve discovered this 12 months might be to consider in myself a bit extra,” Norris stated. “I’ve actually not come out on prime as usually as I’d have preferred in sure moments as a driver, particularly in my fights in opposition to Max.
“As a lot because it hurts generally, I’m in all probability completely satisfied about it now that I’m going to enter subsequent season understanding that I can combat. And I do know myself –extra and higher than anybody — what I want to enhance on, the place I’m not robust sufficient, the place I’m robust sufficient.
“I’m at all times open for criticism, issues like that, however I’m the one who is aware of higher than the others, proper? So not in an conceited approach or a egocentric approach, however I do know that I’ve to enhance in quite a lot of areas and sure issues.
“I really feel like I’ve already finished that quite a bit within the final three, 4, 5 races. I really feel like I’ve delivered some very robust outcomes. However on the entire, subsequent 12 months is hopefully a 12 months the place I can go in and determine earlier than the primary race we’re going to combat for a championship. We’ve not ever considered that.
“We’ve not even had the sensation of it from a crew perspective and in addition for me as a driver. So hopefully subsequent 12 months is that 12 months. We clearly have quite a lot of work to do — Ferrari are going to be pushing lots.”
Norris supplied a message on crew radio after successful in Abu Dhabi, saying, “Subsequent 12 months goes to be my 12 months too” and he says the arrogance he has taken from 2024 leads him to consider he can ship on that declare.
“I fancied it already this 12 months nevertheless it was just a bit too late,” he stated. “I undoubtedly have had issues to enhance on and to look again on and to try to right and to enhance, however nonetheless I feel the factor that I’ve discovered and gained probably the most this 12 months is confidence in myself.
“It sounds quite simple, I’ve simply at all times been fairly the other form of man — I have to exit and show it to myself earlier than I need to begin believing something. This 12 months I’ve discovered that. Yeah, I made some errors and I didn’t give a good-enough combat to Max, nevertheless it was a great effort and the one factor I’ve discovered from it’s I’ve what it takes.
“That’s not an overconfident saying. That’s ‘I do know I made my errors, I do know what I’m able to doing, and I do know if I can enhance on this stuff it’s undoubtedly potential.’ So I’m excited. As a lot as I need this season now to finish and to go and have a vacation, I’m additionally already wanting ahead to subsequent 12 months.”
