Lando Norris had a lot riding on his shoulders at the Abu Dhabi GP. After Oscar Piastri slipped down the order and with Ferrari drivers breathing down his neck, the Briton had to deliver a win to ensure the constructors’ title for McLaren. Norris held his nerve and completed the task.
He was so elated that he declared on the team radio that he would come back stronger in 2025 and win the drivers’ championship as well. Norris missed out on it in 2024 as Max Verstappen beat him convincingly in the end.
There is no reason why the Dutchman will lose any steam by next year. That is the reason why ESPN’s Nate Saunders doubts Norris will make good on his word.
“There’s winning a lot of races in a good car and then there’s taking the fight to Max Verstappen. Charles [Leclerc] hasn’t had that chance yet across the season. Lando’s had about half a season and I think he was quite roundly beaten when it came to just head-to-head with Max in those moments. So, I’m not convinced yet,” Saunders said on the Unlapped podcast while putting Norris and Leclerc in the same boat.
The F1 journalist recalled the US GP and the Mexico City GP where Verstappen caught Norris by surprise. In each of those races, both drivers raced wheel-to-wheel and violated the track limits while trying to get ahead.
While Norris took the penalty in Texas, Verstappen did in Mexico City. Nonetheless, Saunders feels it was Norris who had a rude awakening as to how far Verstappen is willing to go to win.
A veteran like Lewis Hamilton is no stranger to Verstappen’s antics and he came out victorious on multiple occasions against the Red Bull driver. That is what Norris will have to do to prove himself in 2025.
A big reason why Verstappen emerged victorious in 2024 despite the car’s struggles was the seven wins he accumulated in the first half of the season. That was when the RB20 was still dominant and the Dutchman made the most of it.
That cushion helped him sail through the threats from Norris. However, Verstappen might not enjoy that luxury in 2025 as Red Bull seems to have hit the ceiling in developing their car under the current regime of regulations.
McLaren, meanwhile, continues to find performance with each successive upgrade. This contrast in development can give Norris a strong chance of taking the fight to Verstappen. The advent of the new regulations in 2026 will reset the grid and the Briton might not get that golden chance for a while then.
