Formula 1 champion Lando Norris: Title defence not yet written off

After winning the title at last year’s season finale in Abu Dhabi, Lando Norris realised that the cards would be reshuffled. This was because the extensive rule changes were accompanied by the introduction of a new generation of cars, and the power units had also undergone such far-reaching changes that it was impossible to predict the balance of power.

It was already clear during pre-season testing and at the season opener in Melbourne that Mercedes seemed to have the edge. This was subsequently confirmed, as the first six Grand Prix victories all went to drivers from the Mercedes team. It was not until Barcelona that a driver from another team – Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton – stood on the top step of the podium.

Well behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli

Lando Norris found the start of the season difficult. He finished fifth in Melbourne and Japan, whilst at the Chinese Grand Prix – held between the two World Championship rounds – technical issues prevented the world champion from starting. It was not until the fourth race of the season in Miami that he finished second on the Grand Prix podium.

Norris subsequently made it into the top three again in Spain, finishing third, and at the final race before the summer break at the Hungaroring, he was finally able to celebrate his first GP victory of the year. Consequently, he trails championship leader Kimi Antonelli by a significant margin, with 91 points separating him from the Mercedes driver at the top of the standings.

Lando Norris: Mercedes have made more mistakes than McLaren

Nevertheless, Norris still believes he has a chance of defending his title. Speaking to ‘Sky Sports F1’ after the race, he said: “The pressure is on Kimi, that much is certain. I myself don’t feel any pressure.” And he pointed to the number of mistakes made by the Mercedes works team: “As a team, they’ve made more mistakes; we’ve made fewer, and we’ve made a strong comeback.”

“I do expect them to keep winning, but I expect the same from us. From now on, we simply have to deliver a perfect performance for the rest of the year,” emphasised the twelve-time Grand Prix winner, adding: “We need to improve our car. Here in Hungary, we were the fastest in qualifying and in the race. But not every race will go so well for us, so we must ensure that our car is fast on every type of track.”