Lando Norris sends 'comfort' message to F1 rivals ahead of title showdown

Lando Norris has declared he is feeling “comfortable” heading into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix despite his worrying grid position.

Norris enters the race with a 12-point lead over Max Verstappen, who will start the grand prix one spot ahead on pole position.

The Briton failed to clinch the title last time out in Qatar after McLaren made an erroneous strategy decision, allowing Verstappen to stay in contention for the season finale.

With his team-mate Oscar Piastri behind him in third place, Norris has the most to lose during Sunday's race as he takes up the middle slot in between his two rivals.

When asked by media including RacingNews365 if the title showdown in Abu Dhabi feels different to what he experienced last week in Qatar, Norris said: “It feels a bit different.

“Just because it's the final race of the year, not because of anything else. 

“I felt pretty normal into Sunday last week. I didn’t really have the expectation that I was going to get the championship because I started P3 and just didn’t really expect it. 

“Or P2. So no, I felt good then, I feel good now. I feel comfortable and ready to go. 

“I feel like we’ve got a good plan for things. But as Max said, you can’t plan for everything. So no, I feel good. I feel excited to get the final race done and then go on holiday.”

Norris ended qualifying two-tenths of a second behind Verstappen, with the Dutchman taking his first pole since the United States Grand Prix.

Having been forced to concede to Verstappen on Saturday, Norris asserted the weight of the title pressure did not impact his form.

“I'm always a bit nervous before qualifying,” he said. “It's more excitement than anything else. 

“But apart from Q1, I felt pretty good out there. So no, I felt pretty normal.”