Lando Norris addresses F1 compromise: 'I think you know what my answer would be'

Lando Norris says he would choose his 2025 championship victory over having a more competitive car this season, as the 26-year-old and McLaren struggle to defend their titles.

The British driver secured his maiden championship last year, edging Max Verstappen by just two points in a thrilling finale at Abu Dhabi, as the Woking-based squad swept to both the drivers' and constructors' crowns.

However, the Woking outfit's defence of those titles has started poorly. McLaren sits third in the standings with 46 points after three races, trailing championship leaders Mercedes by 80 points.

Reliability issues have plagued the MCL40, most notably at the Chinese Grand Prix, where both Norris and Oscar Piastri failed to start due to separate electrical problems.

The team has also struggled for outright pace, with a deficit to Mercedes and Ferrari becoming apparent.

Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Norris was asked about the MCL40's potential and offered a pointed response that revealed his mindset when confronted with the difficult start to the campaign.

"The car has a lot of potential," the 11-time grand prix winner told media, including RacingNews365.

"We're certainly not where we wanted to be, but I think... The real question you probably ask is, would I rather be here and have won last year, or would I rather have a slightly better car now and not have won last year, and I think you know what my answer would be.

"So, you can't have the best of everything. As a team, we certainly are not where we want to be and where we desire to be, but I think we all know within the team what we can achieve."

Confidence in fightback

Norris remains bullish about McLaren's ability to recover lost ground, with the team preparing significant upgrades for Miami following a five-week break in the calendar, which came directly after Piastri clinched its first podium of the year.

"And now is just as good a time as ever to prove exactly what we can do as a team, against Ferrari, against Mercedes, who are performing very well at the minute," Norris added.

"But I know all the boys and the girls back in the factory are working very hard, and there's good progress happening.

"It takes time to improve on some things, and it's not like we're bad. We're still the third-best team at the minute, but we certainly enjoy being first a lot more than third.

"So, time will tell. We've got some things in the pipeline, and like I said, everyone's working hard, so we're ambitious to get back to the top."