Helmut Marko believes that Lando Norris has proven all his critics wrong regarding his mental resilience after winning the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship. The Austrian advisor, known for his sharp comments towards rivals during his 20 years at Red Bull, has now publicly praised the McLaren driver.
Marko revises his opinion on Lando Norris
Throughout his career with Red Bull, Marko often made provocative remarks aimed at unsettling competitors. Before his departure from the Milton Keynes team—caused by his excessive involvement in team management in the latter half of 2025, which led to a fallout with CEO Oliver Mintzlaff—Marko had also targeted McLaren, highlighting Lando Norris’ perceived psychological weaknesses, especially compared to Max Verstappen.
However, after Lando Norris’ impressive 2025 season and his World Championship victory, Helmut Marko has changed his tune.
Helmut Marko’s words
“Lando Norris is a world champion worthy of the title. He was clearly behind Oscar Piastri in points, but he recovered mentally and in the second half of the season delivered fantastic races, clearly outshining his teammate,” Marko told sport.de.
“He has proven all the predictions about his supposed mental weakness wrong. He is a top-level driver, very strong even in qualifying. So, if he had the right car again, this story could repeat itself.” – he admitted after the final round of the 2025 Formula 1 season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Helmut Marko’s public praise marks a significant shift in tone, acknowledging Lando Norris’s exceptional performance and mental fortitude in a highly competitive season where the McLaren driver delivered under immense pressure to secure his first World Drivers’ Championship.
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