Lando Norris won the Formula 1 world championship on merit, or did he? According to Juan Pablo Montoya, the answer is more complex than it may initially appear. Speaking in an interview with Grosvenor Casinos, the former Colombian Formula 1 driver shared his thoughts on Norris’ title-winning campaign with McLaren, suggesting that while the achievement was deserved, almost any driver could have won with such a competitive car.
The 24-race season saw Norris emerge victorious after a long and intense battle, first against his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri and later, in the closing stages of the championship, against the ever-dangerous Max Verstappen. Montoya’s analysis may seem contradictory at first, but the former Williams and McLaren driver was keen to put Lando Norris’ success into historical context.
According to Montoya, many of the sport’s greatest champions from the past benefited from cars that were so dominant that other drivers could also have beaten the competition in the same machinery. In his view, this reality does not necessarily diminish the value of a world title, but it does place greater emphasis on the importance of the car in modern Formula 1.
Juan Pablo Montoya’s view on Norris’ championship
“Yes, I believe Lando is a champion worthy of the name,” Juan Pablo Montoya said, “but I also believe that anyone driving that car could have become world champion.”
The Colombian then drew comparisons with other dominant eras in Formula 1 history. “Two years ago, Max Verstappen also had the best car, so was he not a champion worthy of that title? Yes, his car had such a big advantage that anyone would have become world champion in his place. And the same thing happened when Michael Schumacher won with Ferrari, or when Ayrton Senna won with McLaren.”
Juan Pablo Montoya underlined that Formula 1 has always been a team sport, where individual talent and technical excellence must work together. “They did an excellent job. This is a team sport, and having a fast car is part of the package,” he explained.
However, when it comes specifically to Lando Norris’ 2025 title, Montoya believes that McLaren’s contribution may have outweighed the driver’s individual influence. “I think the championship win has much more to do with the car than with him,” he added.
Montoya pointed out that Norris needed time to fully understand how to extract the maximum performance from the McLaren. “At the beginning of the year, the car started the way it started, but it took him a bit of time to understand what he needed from the car and how to use it to its full potential.”
Once that understanding was reached, everything changed. “When he and the team understood how to do it, they made the necessary changes to improve things. That’s when he started to get results. Even his attitude seems to have changed slightly,” Montoya noted.
The areas where Lando Norris still needs to improve
Despite acknowledging Norris’ progress, Montoya also highlighted the areas where he believes the British driver still trails some of the top names on the Formula 1 grid.
“Norris has come a long way, both in qualifying and in the race,” Montoya said. “His speed without pressure is probably as good as anyone else on the grid.”
However, pressure situations remain a challenge. “When there is pressure, he still has some work to do. Starts and Q3 have been a big problem, so I think there is still room for improvement,” he explained.
Montoya also offered a technical observation on Norris’ qualifying approach. “If you look at his qualifying laps, they are always too clean, too perfect. When you only have one lap available, you have to make sure you complete it, and many times in those situations he always leaves a bit of lap time here and there.”
According to Juan Pablo Montoya, Lando Norris’ raw pace is not in question. “Often, if they had given him another set of tyres, then Lando Norris would have been much faster, much closer to Max,” he concluded.
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