Lando Norris pinpoints major 'regret' as Oscar Piastri title fight tensions grow

Lando Norris has shared his "regret" at pushing too hard earlier in the F1 season, something that drew mistakes out of the McLaren driver.

The Briton sits just nine points behind team-mate Oscar Piastri at the summer break, but numerous high-profile errors earlier in the campaign put the nine-time grand prix winner on the back foot.

He has since recovered his form, securing three victories in the past four rounds, and he out-scored the Australian over the second half of the first 'half' to the season (rounds seven to 14).

However, Norris believes he is - and has sometimes been - guilty of trying to extract too much from himself and his MCL39, arguing that at points "99 percent, even 95 percent, would have been fine" to get the job done.

When asked if less than 100 percent commitment can be enough to triumph over Piastri and claim his first F1 drivers' championship, Norris reflected on how attempting to be on the limit at all times cost him earlier in the season.

"It can be a mix," the 25-year-old replied to media, including RacingNews365. "There's even some times this year when 99 percent, even 95 percent, would have been fine.

"Some of my mistakes from earlier on in the season are trying to... I try and perform at 101%.

"Sometimes, that's amazing. Sometimes that's, I think, as good as you can get. That's what I feel is the optimum of what I, and I think a driver, can achieve at times.

"I do believe that, but also [there are] times I should drive at 95 percent, or even 90 percent, and that's still enough to be on pole, P2 sometimes."

Having made an error during the final part of qualifying in Bahrain that saw him start sixth, with Piastri on pole, he followed that mistake up a week later, in Saudi Arabia, when a heavy Q3 crash prevented him from setting a lap time at all.

He could only recover to third in Sakhir and fourth at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit whilst his team-mate won both.

They preceded the most egregious misjudgement, which came whilst fighting for Piastri for fourth late on during the Canadian Grand Prix, colliding with the sister car and throwing away 10 points.

Those would have seen Norris head into the shutdown with a one-point advantage in the F1 drivers' standings.

"I do regret trying to be so good at the beginning part of the season," the McLaren driver admitted.

"And I think now, already, I sometimes just settle for a 90, 95 percent lap - and that's still good enough."