Norris Believes 2024 is “first opportunity” to Learn to Fight For F1 Title – Sport Grill

McLaren’s Lando Norris believes that this season is his “first opportunity” to learn to fight for the F1 title.

Norris heads into Las Vegas knowing that he needs to reduce his 62-point title deficit by at least three points over Max Verstappen to take his first title fight in F1 to the penultimate round in Qatar.

“That I have what it takes,” commented Norris on his belief that he can learn from this title fight as he spoke in the Las Vegas Grand Prix’s pre-weekend press conference.

“I think it’s the first time in the last six years of F1 when we’ve had a chance to fight at the front. This is our, and my, first opportunity to do so, and my first opportunity to see where I stand.

“I definitely was not at the level I needed to be at at the beginning of the year, even [after beating Verstappen to a maiden win] in Miami. Since the summer break I feel like I’ve done a very good job and performed very, very well – by far some of my best performances that I’ve done.”

Since the summer break, Norris has finished every race in the top six during which he took two race victories and one sprint win in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which left the Brit pleased at his development in a front-running car.

“I’ve been very happy with how the last few months have gone, honestly. I wouldn’t change many things that have happened. I still need to make tweaks and I still need to improve on things, that’s clear.

“I’m not completely satisfied with how I’ve done and I definitely know I need to make improvements.

“But, for the first time, I’m confident to say I have what I think I need to fight for a championship. It doesn’t mean I’m complete, it doesn’t mean I’m perfect.

“When you’re competing against drivers who are close to that, like Max, you have to be close to perfect if you want to challenge him.”

Having missed a chance to cut his deficit to Verstappen down in a wet Sao Paulo GP which the Dutchman won with a well-timed red flag, Norris believes Verstappen’s win was ” a defining moment for the championship.”

Norris consequently felt deflated at having wasted a chance to further pressure Verstappen – having started that race from pole position, yet now needs extraordinary luck to snatch a first title.

“For a week I was pretty down, because I had that realisation of things pretty much [being] out of my control now, not within reach necessarily.

“That’s a tough realisation when your hopes and belief are so high. For it to get knocked down so much all of a sudden was pretty demoralising.

“You learn to accept that it’s life. I admitted in Miami that I was lucky to get the win with the Safety Car, and that’s the strategy you play. I think Brazil was still a bit more luck, but that’s F1, that’s racing. I’m not complaining about it.”