Norris makes damning 'no excuses' McLaren title claim

Lando Norris has claimed that McLaren has "no excuses" in the F1 drivers' and constructors' titles this year. 

The Woking-based team enter the 2025 F1 season as the favourites to defend its crown, whilst Norris is a leading contender for a maiden drivers' championship. 

McLaren and Norris ended the previous campaign as the leading duo, following a sublime performance in the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. 

Following last week's introduction of the MCL39, expectations of the British team ahead of the new season remain very high. 

Norris is hopeful that both titles this year will be achievable, and has insisted that McLaren is in a very unique position compared to the last few seasons.

"I hope so for sure," Norris told select media including RacingNews365 at the F1 75 launch event. "After last year, I think we kind of have no excuses I guess. 

"In the past we've had our fair share of honest and true excuses, I think this year we kind of don't have any. We have nothing to hide behind. We proved last year we have everything we need and everything it takes to fight at the top and be the best. 

"If we're not at the beginning of the season, then we're just not good enough, and we've not done a good enough job. But that's certainly not how we're thinking of things. That's not how our mentality has been.

"I guess as we ended [last] season, our next season's already started. For all the guys and girls back in the factories, giving us a car which can compete, a lot of what Formula 1 is, is having a car that can compete."

McLaren 'excited' for title fight

Last season was a significant one for McLaren, Norris and Oscar Piastri, not only because the team won its first constructors' title since 1998. 

Norris and Piastri both demonstrated an ability to fight for wins and podiums when the car was in a good place, resulting in a string of big points finishes which supported McLaren's title bid. 

The British driver believes the entire team are ready for the challenge of being the favourites, but has assured that it is not getting ahead of itself. 

"I think we both as drivers, proved a lot last year in ourselves and in each other, of what we're capable of doing and when we do have a car that's capable of fighting for wins and championships, we're able to maximise it," added Norris.

"So I think we probably both say we're ready and we're excited for that challenge, but we also have a whole team behind us who are also excited. 

"They know they're capable of making a quick car, so we're excited for this challenges this season. 

"Maybe in the past, we've got ahead of ourselves at times before pre-season, so we're definitely not doing that, but we're quite confident that we can start the season off in the best way and much better than we've done over the last six, seven years."