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Norris still believes he can retain his F1 title

From CNA · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Lando Norris believes he can still win the Formula One title despite being 91 points behind the leader.
  • He stated he feels relaxed and not stressed, contrasting his current position with Max Verstappen's situation last season.
  • Norris qualified second for the Dutch Grand Prix sprint race and sees a "genuine" chance to fight for the championship after recent success.

Lando Norris maintains he still has a chance to defend his Formula One title, even while acknowledging he is not currently in the championship chase. The McLaren driver qualified on the front row for the Dutch Grand Prix sprint race, starting the second half of the season in fifth place overall and a significant 91 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli.

This year I don't feel stressed at all. I feel very relaxed

— Lando NorrisNorris described his current mental state regarding the championship battle.

With a maximum of 12 rounds remaining, closing the gap appears challenging. However, Norris expressed a relaxed mindset, attributing it to his previous championship win and his current non-leading position. "This year I don't feel stressed at all. I feel very relaxed," Norris told reporters. He clarified that while he is "in the fight," he doesn't mean it in the sense of being first or second in the standings, drawing a parallel to Max Verstappen's mindset at a similar point last season.

Of course I'm in the fight. If you want to compare it to Max last season you can do. But I don't mean it that way. I'm just not first, second (place) in the championship. Max didn't think he was in the fight at this point last season. So it's more just the saying of that.

— Lando NorrisNorris clarified his perspective on being 'in the fight' for the championship.

Norris emphasized his belief in the possibility of winning, stating, "I still believe it's possible ... there's still a chance. And if there's a chance, then I want to fight for it." He recalled qualifying second at Zandvoort last year but retiring from the race, which left him trailing his teammate Oscar Piastri. Piastri's victory in Hungary last month, McLaren's first of the season, has bolstered Norris's confidence.

I still believe it's possible ... there's still a chance. And if there's a chance, then I want to fight for it.

— Lando NorrisNorris expressed his determination to compete for the title as long as a mathematical possibility exists.

"There's been not many reasons to believe why it is possible until Budapest," Norris admitted. "So obviously now it's a more genuine question." The driver's renewed optimism stems from McLaren's recent performance improvements, making the pursuit of the championship a more tangible goal.

There's been not many reasons to believe why it is possible until Budapest. So obviously now it's a more genuine question.

— Lando NorrisNorris indicated that recent team performance has made the championship pursuit seem more realistic.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNA. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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