Why Norris insists on breaking the mould in F1 title pursuit

Lando Norris is adamant he will not let norms within F1 restrict him to operating in a way that does not best serve him as he gears up for the 2025 drivers' title fight.

The British driver lamented the pre-conceived idea that professional athletes must all act, prepare and execute in the same way, as if bound to some monolithic treaty.

As McLaren emerged from the relative F1 wilderness last season to top the constructors' standing for the first time in over a quarter of a century, Norris mounted a drivers' title charge of his own, but never got within striking distance of eventual champion Max Verstappen, who picked up his fourth-consecutive crown by 63 points.

The 25-year-old, as a result, saw a steady uptick in the amount of attention, and criticism, he is subjected to, particularly for how he conducts himself with the press.

That led to considerable analysis of how he approaches racing, with special attention paid to what has been perceived as overly negative self-reflection and evaluation - a seldom-seen trait within high-level sportspeople.

However, the four-time grand prix winner feels the expected and often-prescribed way to handle pressure, and the media, does not work for him.

"I feel like everyone's just so stuck with: 'you have to do this, everyone does this, this is the way you have to do it', Norris said on The Fast and The Curious Podcast.

"But none of its true. It's just finding your own way of living, your own way of thinking, your own way of talking - all of these things.

"There is never really a correct way and a wrong way of doing a lot of things, but people think too much of the time that there is."

Moment of realisation

Given the current strength of McLaren, Norris is heading into the 2025 F1 season as the bookmakers favourite for the drivers' championship. But to him, the pressure is welcome and the prospect is one he relishes. 

"So, you just find your own way of doing it," he continued before explaining a road to Damascus moment he had part-way through the previous campaign.

"And I feel like that's what clicked last year, halfway through, three quarters of the way through with: 'okay, now I just crack on with doing my own thing and focus on myself', the McLaren driver said.

"And that seemed to work, so that's how I'll go into this year. But I know I'm gonna make mistakes, and I know I'm going to not have perfect races and those types of things, the same as any athlete."