Defending a Formula 1 World Championship has never been easy, especially during a period of major regulatory changes. Lando Norris knew this well when celebrating the coveted 2025 title, and he knows it even better today as he faces McLaren’s challenging start to 2026. Taking responsibility as team number one, Norris addressed the media in a pre-Japanese GP press conference, revisiting the “sporting nightmare” of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend. Yet he responded like a seasoned driver, welcoming questions with disarming smiles even as journalists tried to probe the reasons behind McLaren’s double retirement in the last race.
“It took time to understand what was happening”
“It took a bit of time to understand what was happening,” Norris said. “Obviously, it penalized us as a team: it wasn’t great to have two cars unable to start the race. I think what hurt the most was that it was beyond our control, but with HPP (Mercedes High Performance Powertrains) we worked hard to understand what happened, why it happened, and, of course, we’ll do everything possible to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
Turning mistakes into growth opportunities
Norris also sees the positive side of the setback: “You learn from mistakes: it was tough for all of us. Nobody wants a weekend like that, especially starting Sunday in that way. It was painful, but I also think it was an opportunity to learn, take a step back, and focus on this weekend.”
The 26-year-old world champion spoke with experience, offering a clear perspective on the situation: “I think the real question is: would I rather be here and have won last year, or have a slightly better car now and not have won the title? And I think you know my answer. The car has huge potential,” added Lando. “You can’t have the best of everything, and I think as a team we’re certainly not where we want to be, but I believe all of us within the team know what we can achieve. Now is the best time to show exactly what we can do, against Ferrari and Mercedes, who are performing very well right now.”
Looking back to move forward
After just two races and a sprint, some are already trying to draw definitive conclusions about team performance. It’s true, Mercedes and Ferrari are a step ahead, and in a fast-paced Formula 1, catching up is never simple. But Norris is quick to remind everyone how McLaren claimed its first Constructors’ Championship and how far the team had come in the year it won the title after that distant 1998 season: “I don’t remember how many points we were behind Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari in 2024, but I think we were over 150 points down, and yet we managed to come back and win the Constructors’ Championship. I don’t know the gap now—it’s already significant. But we’re not thinking about that yet: what we’re focused on is getting onto the podium first, and then winning races again.”
“Improving takes time”
One of the most repeated mantras in sport, without a doubt, but when spoken by a young driver from a generation expected to succeed on the first attempt, the impact is striking. Facing and overcoming difficulties last year has shaped Norris into a mature, team-oriented driver who defends his squad: “I know the guys and girls in the factory are working hard and making good progress: improving certain things takes time. It’s not that we’re bad—we’re still the third-best team—but we definitely prefer being first rather than third.”
“Time will tell: we have several things planned, and everyone is giving their maximum effort, so we’re ambitious and aiming to return to the top. We are confident as a team and we believe in ourselves. We won the last two championships and the drivers’ title last year because we managed to build the best car on the grid, and I’m convinced we can do it again this year. It just takes time, we need to be patient, but I have full trust in the team, and I think this year we can have the best car again.”
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