McLaren’s Lando Norris: Not winning F1 title won’t be a failure

Lando Norris said he would not consider his 2025 season a failure if he fell short in his quest to win a maiden Formula One world title.

Norris cut the deficit to McLaren teammate and drivers’ championship leader Oscar Piastri to 15 points in winning last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix and goes into his home British race at Silverstone saying he is a better driver than a year ago despite some error-strewn moments.

The 25-year-old started the season as championship favourite but has been eclipsed by his younger teammate, who has won five grands prix to Norris’ three.

It now looks increasingly like a two-horse race with Max Verstappen 46 points behind Norris.

Should he fail to win the drivers’ crown, Norris said on Wednesday: “I’d have to say I didn’t succeed in what my goal was but I don’t think you can ever call it a failure because I don’t believe like I’ve failed anything.

“I feel like maybe I just didn’t live up to what I believed I could have done or the level I should have done at certain times.

“I think if things were much easier and you don’t achieve your goal maybe you can call it a failure but when it’s 24 races it’s such a long season against the best in the world I don’t think you can ever call it a failure. Maybe you didn’t succeed.”

Norris has been undone by errors in both qualifying and races but dominated the weekend in Spielberg to hold off a race-long challenge from his teammate.

“I certainly think I’ve improved,” he said. “It may be very easy to say the opposite from the outside because I’ve just made some more mistakes. But I certainly feel like I’m a more complete driver.”

He said self-inflicted pressure was stronger than anything external.

“It’s more the desire, almost too much desire inside to want to do such a good job every weekend, to deliver for the team,” he said.

“I want to deliver for the team and I want to win. I kind of put myself under the pressure too much but I understand that.”

While Silverstone might be seen as the ultimate pressure, a home race he has yet to win, he saw it otherwise.

“It almost distracts you more in a good way, distracts you more by having your fans and your supporters there,” he said.

“You’re almost more there enjoying the moment rather than ‘I’ve got to do this for them,’ as much as that is probably a thought prior to the weekend.”