Lando Norris has become the 35th Formula 1 world champion as he clinched the title by two points in 2025.
The Brit came a long way to grab his first F1 crown. He was tipped as the favourite for the championship during pre-season, but it soon looked as though his teammate would have the upper hand.
After winning the season opener in Melbourne, Norris did not claim another victory until Monaco, while Oscar Piastri won five of the first nine races. He seemed to establish the upper hand in qualifying and in racecraft, while his teammate struggled to adapt to the MCL39.
Mistakes in qualifying cost Norris dearly in the first half of the season. A hard reset was needed over the summer break as the Brit was being heavily critical of himself and his errors.
Andrea Stella ‘forced’ Lando Norris to ask for help at McLaren
Speaking via BBC Sport after his championship win, Norris revealed that team principal Andrea Stella had given him a ‘kick’ behind the scenes. Rather than being self-critical, he was told to ask for guidance within the team.
Asked about his early struggles in 2025, Norris explained: “It was a mixture of things. It was a mixture of me just not getting the most out of the car, because it changed quite a bit from the previous year.
“Having the half of me going: ‘I’m just not doing a good enough job’, and also getting a kick from Andrea, and Andrea’s seen a lot of things in his career in Formula 1, has been with some incredible people, learned a lot of things.
“[He] always forced me a lot more to push them and like: ‘Guys, I need more of this. I want more of that. How can you help me here?’ Which is never my first thought, it’s always: ‘Why am I not doing a good enough job?’
“I just got very frustrated when I wasn’t doing a good enough job, also because I knew what was on the line.
“I knew it was a chance to fight for the world championship. So when I wasn’t doing a good enough job, I was pretty downbeat about it.”
READ MORE: Lando Norris has different view to Max Verstappen on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari future
How Lando Norris turned things around against Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen
These changes, among others, proved critical for Norris’ comeback and ultimately his championship triumph. New approaches, such as turning his delta off in qualifying and not paying attention to the noise around him, gave the McLaren star a new breath of life.
After his DNF at Zandvoort, he sat 34 points behind Piastri. But after that race, he swung the momentum in his favour, winning two races and grabbing six podiums in the final nine events.
Piastri inherited his teammate’s struggles with the car on the low-grip circuits, while Norris began to flourish. His new mentality gave him the upper hand against his rivals.
The 25-year-old sealed the deal in Abu Dhabi with P3, beating Max Verstappen by just two points. He will be hoping to defend his crown in 2026 under the new regulations.
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