Lando Norris wielding new 'power and influence' at McLaren

Lando Norris has explained how he is using the "power and influence" he has discovered he has at McLaren as the team looks to get back in the title fight.

After an initial poor start to their title defences, Norris and McLaren have been name-checked by points leader Kimi Antonelli as the new fastest team following wins in Hungary and in the Netherlands.

Norris has moved to within 83 points of Antonelli as talk of a Max Verstappen-esque 2025-style comeback has been raised. 

Norris believes that he is driving better than in his championship-winning year and is growing into his status as a world champion, and the responsibilities this has within the team. 

Speaking after signing a new long-term contract to stay with McLaren until 2030 and extend his stay into a third decade, Norris has explained how, now he has the weight and experience behind him, he is wielding the "power and influence I have over the directions we work in as a team."

"You learn over the years when you should talk, when you shouldn't," Norris told Sky Sports. 

"In terms of how much power you have as the driver and as an individual, in the first few years, you're not going to overstep any mark. I'm certainly not going to raise my voice above someone else, kind of thing.

"With time, you learn that my role is not simply just driving the car. It's also how can I be a leader, how can I lead the team, how can I be a voice for all the people that work here, all the guys and girls? How can I push them to do better, to be better? As well as pushing myself, of course. And how can we all work and do that as a team?

"I've just learned the power that I can have and influence I can have over the directions that we work in as a team. Of course, I never want to abuse that, but at the same time, I know that I'm in a position where I can be forceful to try and get what I want, from a car, from the team, from people around me.

"And that's a very important thing. You've got to utilise that, I think, as an athlete, no matter what sport you're in. You've got to know how to try and get what you want as an individual.

"And I feel like I'm in a very good place right now with the people I have around me, my team, people we have in different positions, team leaders, all of those things, and the work ethic of the whole team, which is really the most important thing at the end of the day."