Taking the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi on the closing race of 2024, bringing house for , introduced up blended feelings for cheerful chappy .
On one hand, it was pure elation. A member of the McLaren household for eight years, this meant as a lot to Norris as anybody else. He described it as a “excellent” finish to the season, beating Ferrari to the championship by 14 factors. And he’d want no invitation; he was going to get “hammered” later that night time over the border in Bahrain.
But in the identical breath, even amid joyous papaya-clad celebrations on the pit-wall, the boy from Bristol couldn’t assist however pattern that bittersweet style. “It’s been a particular yr,” he mentioned over workforce radio, earlier than including: “And subsequent yr goes to be my yr, too.”
Norris knew. Everybody knew. It might have been a lot better.
It might be a stretch to say Norris misplaced final yr’s F1 drivers title; in actual fact, he was by no means in entrance. However quite a few possibilities in quicker equipment got here and went – Barcelona, Budapest, Brazil, to call solely the Bs – and , 4 occasions a champion now, gave his shut pal a lesson in title tilting. The Dutchman, the , was a deserved champion.
However this season, with all pointing in the direction of McLaren having the quickest automotive of the lot, needs to be completely different. It needs to be, if Norris is to grasp his potential and win a primary System 1 world championship.
The 25-year-old is the favorite with the bookies, forward of a season billed to be one of many closest ever. He received 4 races in 2024, however that labored out at a 50% conversion price from eight pole positions. His points on lap one have been : together with dash races, he has failed to begin lap two within the lead on 9 events from 11 F1 pole positions.
It’s a report he has to eradicate if he’s going to transform promising Saturdays into most factors on Sundays. However there might be “no excuses now”, as he acknowledged himself within the low season.
LANDO NORRIS’ RECORD FROM POLE POSITION
1. Russian GP, 2021 – Place after lap one: 2nd
2. Brazil GP dash, 2023 – third
3. Chinese language GP dash, 2024 – seventh
4. Spanish GP, 2024 – third
5. Hungarian GP, 2024 – third
6. Dutch GP, 2024 – 2nd
7. Italian GP, 2024 – third
8. Singapore GP, 2024 – 1st
9. US GP, 2024 – 4th
10. Brazil GP, 2024 – 2nd
11. Abu Dhabi GP, 2024 – 1st
“I imagine Lando is prepared,” says Mika Hakkinen, two occasions a champion with McLaren in 1998 and 1999. “He’s flat out prepared to realize his aim and he can develop into a world champion.
“When you’re not world champion and you’re working in the direction of that aim, it requires a variety of errors.
“I feel that Lando has reached all these parts in his profession. He has been taking dangers, he has been important of himself, he has been pushing flat out.”
Issues boiled over at McLaren within the midst of their resurgence final yr. The notorious instruction – through which Norris and teammate have been ruefully advised they have been allowed to race one another however solely with out threat – was short-sighted. It was an indication of a workforce unaccustomed to racing on the entrance.
Desire ought to have been given to title contender Norris from the outset. However have CEO Zak Brown and workforce principal Andrea Stella realized their lesson?
Norris and Piastri begin on a “clear slate”, in accordance with the Australian, this yr. But historical past exhibits us that groups hardly ever win titles with two primary drivers. They bicker, they conflict, they usually take factors off one another.
MASTERMINDS BEHIND MCLAREN’S SUCCESS
Zak Brown – CEO
Andrea Stella – Crew Principal
Rob Marshall – Chief Designer
Peter Prodromou – Technical Director, Aerodynamics
Neil Houldey – Technical Director, Engineering
Mark Temple – Technical Director, Efficiency
“We’ve seen it with Prost and Senna [McLaren, 1988-1989] and Hamilton and Rosberg [Mercedes, 2013-2016] {that a} extra aggressive automotive will increase competitors internally,” Sky F1 pundit Anthony Davidson tells The Unbiased.
“It could possibly boil over. They felt like a younger workforce final yr and two uber-competitive drivers created some fireworks right here and there.
“However I really feel like that is Lando’s time now. He has to ship now. I feel Lando has the benefit over Oscar with the expertise he has.
“McLaren are the automotive to beat heading into Australia and the primary couple of races. Coming in as world champions, it tees it up so properly for one in every of them to have a tilt at changing into drivers’ world champion.”
Can Piastri end increased than Norris? It’s actually potential. The 23-year-old Aussie – who has a formidable junior report, successful F3 and F2 in successive years – received twice final yr, together with a stunningly composed victory . It made individuals sit up and take discover, however Piastri must enhance an inconsistent qualifying report to be in with a shout.
Many questioned his cojones, his will for the struggle within the warmth of battle, final yr however F1’s ‘Mr Good Man’ shouldn’t be mistaken for something apart from a fierce competitor. Norris’s effectivity, composure and race craft confirmed clear indicators of enchancment as 2024 progressed, significantly after he claimed his . Norris’s late season type, coupled with McLaren’s grid-leading automotive, makes him the person to beat.
And all of us needn’t wait for much longer, because it all will get going on the this weekend, on the sunny streets of Albert Park in Melbourne. After a affluent three-day take a look at in Bahrain, all of the momentum is with McLaren in what looks like a seismic second for the workforce.
With subsequent yr bringing new engine and chassis guidelines, with an Adrian Newey-led Aston Martin and James Vowles-inspired Williams simply two groups eyeing monumental leaps in efficiency, 2025 actually looks like it’s now or by no means for McLaren and their star driver.
