Relaxed Norris Confident and Prepared for 2026 Title Defense

Lando Norris said he aims to keep improving as he heads into his title defense in F1 2026 after winning his first world championship in a tense 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi. He edged McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and faced a late-season challenge from Max Verstappen, and at a pre-season appearance at the McLaren Technology Centre Norris rejected the idea that his ambitions had reset — “Honestly, no,” he said — stressing a continual desire to get better. He contrasted his own mindset with Verstappen’s, describing a different mental approach, and underlined that racing top rivals requires near-perfection. Norris said he feels confident and prepared for the new season and acknowledged support from fellow world champions as part of his preparation.

Despite the title, Autosport placed Norris fourth in its 2025 rankings behind Verstappen, George Russell and Charles Leclerc, citing costly errors during the campaign. Specific low points included a Jeddah qualifying crash, contact with Piastri in Montreal and an off-pace weekend in Baku, and Norris has signaled he still intends to work on closing performance gaps revealed by those weekends. He added that becoming champion has made him more relaxed and boosted his confidence, and he plans to bring more friends and family to races while maintaining the focus required to defend the crown. That mix of increased composure and a commitment to self-improvement frames his approach to the 2026 season.

Norris also spoke about the wider competitive landscape, saying he “completely believes” George Russell will win a world championship while insisting he remains determined to defend his own title. Bookmakers and pundits have installed Mercedes and Russell as early front-runners in part because the team is expected to adapt well to the sport’s new chassis and power-unit regulations, which Norris acknowledged as a strong threat. He emphasized respect for his rivals but stressed he will begin the season with the same winning mentality that secured him the 2025 drivers’ crown, and noted his preparation and mindset differ from other contenders. With roughly four weeks until the Australian Grand Prix, Norris’s comments laid out both the pressures he faces and the specific preparations behind his 2026 campaign.