Norris delivers insight into maiden F1 win mental impact

Lando Norris does not feel his mindset or approach to F1 has changed following winning his first grand prix in Miami earlier this season.

The McLaren driver claimed an impressive victory in Florida, taking advantage of the timing of the safety car to bank a free pit stop, and pulling away from Max Verstappen at the restart to clinch his first win in F1 at the 110th time of asking.

Despite people often contending that a first grand prix victory is somewhat of a flood-shed moment, allowing drivers to kick on and rack up further wins once surpassing the benchmark, Norris does not feel doing so has changed much in his approach.

The win in Miami was made possible due to an impressive raft of upgrades introduced by McLaren over that weekend, with the 24-year-old able the make the most of the updated package, something he also highlighted, explaining how whilst his approach has not changed, the positions he is fighting for have.

"Not really," he replied to media including RacingNews365 when asked if he now had a different mindset. "No, like really, it doesn't change much. For me, I've always tried to make it feel the same. 

"I think as soon as you try and change it too much, that's when you probably start to feel the pressure or nerves and that kind of thing. But I'm doing the same. I'm going out, I look at the data, I try and drive as quickly as possible. It doesn't change, it's just for a higher position.

"I think naturally, that just comes with a little bit more nerves and a little bit more pressure, when you're in qualifying and you're trying to get a pole lap, and that kind of thing. But it shouldn't change that much at the same time, right."

Trying to find the difference

Following McLaren's successful developments, Ferrari and Mercedes followed suit. This has led to an increasingly tight fight between Red Bull and its three closest competitors - with the Milton Keynes team only winning two of the previous four grand prix.

The reigning champions are still expected to have an edge at most circuits, but the gap is undeniably smaller, which has led to the four considerably closer races in recent weeks than the season's opening five - something which is having a positive affect on Norris.

Whilst the one-time grand prix winner's approach has not changed, he did concede that fighting at the front has provided him with "more excitement" and given him "more motivation" to find the difference.

"I guess I just try and put myself in the best position, and that feeling I have in the car is very important, that I'm just confident and comfortable inside and not overthinking things," he explained.

"But it's just a better feeling that you know you're going to be fighting for maybe a top three or a win or that kind of thing.

"I think there's more excitement, and I think it's more motivation. I think with all of that then comes... like you try and find those extra thousandths or hundredths [of a second], because at the minute, that can be the difference between being on first or being in fifth."