Lando Norris stated that he was surprised by the calm he maintained in the final stretch of the 2025 Formula 1 season, even with the pressure exerted by Max Verstappen in the title fight. The McLaren driver said he did not expect to handle the championship decision so calmly, even with the four-time world champion almost catching him.
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In an interview with the Beyond the Grid podcast, Norris explained that McLaren’s disqualification at the Las Vegas GP was the moment that gave Red Bull hope to seek a comeback in the standings. Asked if Verstappen had an advantage in the last two stages due to his experience in winning titles, Norris replied: “I’m not sure. Obviously, the disqualification is the thing that gave them hope, actually. It certainly didn’t make me more nervous. Honestly, I don’t know; I was surprised.”
“I was surprised at how little I was nervous. I was never so confident, but I just wasn’t nervous arriving in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, or even arriving at the Abu Dhabi or Qatar weekends. It wasn’t like I was thinking, ‘Ah, they’re on our tail,’ or whatever, you know. I was surprised at how relaxed I was on Sunday in Abu Dhabi when, in the end, it was just a two-point difference.”
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McLaren dominated much of the season, but an upgrade package brought by Red Bull to Monza transformed the RB21’s performance. With that, Verstappen took advantage of the rival’s mistakes, including the double disqualification of Norris and Oscar Piastri in Las Vegas due to excessive floor wear, and reduced a 104-point deficit to just two before the decisive stage in Abu Dhabi.
Even under pressure, Norris kept control in the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races. In the final race, he needed to finish in the top three if Verstappen won to secure the title.
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