Norris finds peace, not pressure, in F1 title expectations

Monaco – It’s the Wednesday Before this Weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix and Lando Norris Is standing on the main deck of a 72-meter superyacht. Coral Ocean, a Six-Bedroom Leviathan that costs $ 735,000 a week to charter, is mostly at port hercules’ T-Jetty, a Berth reserved for the biggest and most lavish yachts over the monaco race Weekend.

As the Sun Beats Down on this most mediterranean of scenes, norris’ name is being yelled yelled by guests clutching champagne glasses aboard an adjacent floating palace. Norris, Eyes squinting from the glare of Coral OCEAN’s pristine white hull, appearance his fans with a wave and a smile beeft and interesting back to the job.

Mclaren sponsor okx has used upon norris and team Oscar Plastri To Pull the Covers Off A retro -ice livery that will run on their cars At the next two events. A Small Crowd of Influencers Stand With Necks Craned and iPhones Raised to Catch The Moment The Black Satin Sheet Make

As trays of aperol spritzes and vol-au-vents circle the deck post reveal, norris, now in his seventh year as a Formula 1 Driver, say he’s still surprised by the situations he finds himself in.

“I ‘not done a livery reveal like this beefore,” he tells when he is asked if he is using to such scenarios. “I think it a bit weird, isn it is it? But it’s different. If you asked me back when I was a kid, ‘is this what you dream of?’ Well, I don’t think I would say yes because I do not think that I would be dreamed of this. “

Norris, now 25 and a multimillionaire, has owned an apartment not far from Monaco’s Port Hercules Since 2022, But He Still Feels Strange Living in Such a Rarified Environment.

“I still find it we say it, but it is where I live most of the time,” he says. “I think everyone will always, and I’ll always, know deep down my home is in the UK.

“It is the Same for a lot of people, you know? There are a lot of different sports people from Tennis, football, lots of different sports, that live here and kind of call.

“Yeah, it’s nice, it’s a beautiful place, I can not complain, but deep down I always know that london is what I love the most.”

One aspect of monaco that norris has not yet experienced is standing on the top step of the F1 podium at the famous Grand Prix. This year is undoubtedly his best chance yet after mclen started 2025 with the fastest car on the grid and he emerged as the bookmakers ‘Favorite for the Drivers’ championship during presence.

After a surprise title campaign last year was snuffed out by Max Verstappen With Two Races Left to Run, 2025 is the opportunity norris’ entry career – Arguably his entir Life – has been built -in.

“I honestly do think of it until peoply bring it up,” he says with a smile. “It’s not a bad thing, you know, because it is a nice to be reminded of it sometimes.

“It’s just never my first thought, it’s never a better that I bring with me to apply a weekend, you know? For me.

“When you kind of get reminded or you there are these things, it’s a good boost, because you like, To say, it’s nice to be reminded, but it is not a carry with myself. “

The Season May Be Only Seven Races Old, But Norris’ Performance Havingre Come Under Scrutiny. WHILE PIASTRI HAS SEURED FOUR RACE WINS, TAKING THE LEAD IN THE STANDINGS FROM NORRIS WITH VIICTHARY AT THE SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX, NORRIS HAS WON WON ONLY ONLY ONE YEAR-AT THE SEASON-AUSTRALIAN Grand Prix.

Defending champion verstappen has also inserted Himself Into the title battle with victors in japan and imola, meaning norris is figuring for his first championship on at leaast two fronts.

But norris, who finished second in imola to close the gap to Piastri at the top of the stands to 13 points, is not getting hung up by the mushrooming win counts of his rival. The focus for norris at this early stage is on the long game, which includes making the right judgent calls at 200 mph in order to stay out of tour.

“I know I’m figuring for a championship, and therefore, every now and then you maybe has to make a slightly different decision,” Norris adds. “I don’t think I’Ve only be overly conservative, and I ‘Never be overly aggressive. just who wins [with the most points] At the end.

“It’s not not the most races. It is not if the fastest every weekend. It’s not that the wins on the biggest margin. The end of the sea, that is the most important. From these moments and keep fighting all the way to the end. “

Arguably more than any other drug on the grid, norris is open about the struggles he faces on track. After crashing out of qualifying in saudi arabia, He Called Himself a “F — Ing idiot” over-step radioAnd when asked about the verbal self-flagellation later the same way, he said he is completed with his heat-balf -assment.

To be in the right headspace for the demands of F1, norris has worn with a sports psychologist for several years. It is a side of his preparation that he has played by spoken about in the past and one he still finds invaluable.

“It’s just made sure I ‘think of the right things. “I do that every now and then. I do that from time to time.

“I think I’m always working on different things. Because driving is not literally, if you just drive the car the quickest, there’s a lot of different factors that come in it. It’s not just about one weekend. “

And norris remains convinced there’s lap time to be found in talking.

“Some people are better than others, natural or not natural,” He says. “Even though I ‘had great weeks and things, there’s always stuff I feel like I can improve, boy on the track and off the track.

“IM dealing with things better and approaching things in a betting. It’s just perfect, all in all. It is not just only about car performance. Both.

“You need to have performance in whatever you do, but also need to have the right mindset for things. Different aspects it is good to have some to talk to. “

For a driver who admitted to a lack of self belief during his debut season in 2019, norris has come a long way. Even after being outqualified 6-3 by Piatri Across Sprint and Grand Prix Qualifying Sessions This year and be 4-1 down on race victories to His Teammate, Norris, who so often is Brutally Honest About Such Things, Says His Confidence Remains Sky-High.

“I think at the end of the day, now more than every, even though I still might be disappointed or not satisfied with thaings, I think less down I’Ve Never Had More Confidance in MY Own Ability, More Confidence That I Can Go Out and Win Than I Ever Have Before, “He says. “And that’s even with some of my performans that I’Ve Had, with some of the struggles in different areas. But I stille feel. I’ve ever had.

“So Again, I disappoint when I get the maximum out of myself.

Though some norris speaking about his weaknesses as a weakness in itset, he says it simply his process for finding improvements. He knews as well as any results must be improve to win the title, and he can make the step over the rest of the season to do so.

“I not Satisfied Unless I do the job I think I can do, which is to win,” he adds. “And there I’ll be tougher on myself, I’ll be tougher on the timer when it’s better, because I think that we improve.

“And we know that a team, and that’s all that matters. Because if we can work on each other, and the team help me and I will be there, then that’s all I come in place about.

“I don’t care what else Percept is or thoughts are about these moments.