Lando Norris concedes to major McLaren shift as F1 title glory nears

Lando Norris has explained how a fundamental shift in his mindset and mental approach has propelled him to the cusp of F1 title glory. 

After a mechanical failure at the Dutch GP, Norris fell 34 points behind team-mate Oscar Piastri, but in a dramatic flip, Piastri has wobbled since as Norris has peaked and is hitting top form. 

He has won the last two grands prix in Mexico and Brazil, as well as the Sao Paulo Sprint and also finished second in the United States to open up a 24-point lead on Piastri with just three rounds and 83 points remaining in the season as he closes in on a maiden F1 drivers' crown.

However, earlier this season, it was Piastri peaking with Norris struggling and making mistakes, including branding himself "useless" after a qualifying crash in Saudi Arabia left him 10th on the grid, with another mistake in Bahrain also clearing the path for an easy Piastri win. 

Explaining the mental turnaround he has enjoyed in 2025, Norris believes his "mentality and general emotion has gone down" as he looks to become the 11th British world champion, and first new one since Jenson Button in 2009.

"I think it is difficult as there have certainly been some periods that were much tougher and I've worked hard to try and avoid them as much as possible, so I've not had to deal with them," Norris told media, including RacingNews365, speaking before the Sao Paulo GP weekend.

"I certainly think my mentality and general emotion, in a way, has gone down; I think that's a good thing; it is not that I am an emotional person, but I care.

"So I think removing those cares helps and allows me to forget I won in Mexico, which doesn't change anything; it is a very small achievement of a bigger puzzle. 

"When there is a much bigger picture in mind, then it feels like it means less for a small amount of time, but I certainly feel I can deal with a lot more now than at the beginning of the season. But I was also dealing with a lot more difficulties at the beginning of the season than now.

"I'm in a much better space than I was back then, for many different reasons, but it is all part of learning.

"Do I wish I could have changed some things? Maybe, but would I be as good now as if I didn't learn those things like that? Probably not, so it is all part of learning."