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Lando Norris has issued a cautionary tale to Mercedes, highlighting how easily a Formula 1 championship campaign can unravel, drawing on two pivotal moments from the 2025 season.
Last season, Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri appeared locked in an exclusive battle for the drivers' title, only for McLaren to nearly lose it to a rapidly advancing Max Verstappen from Red Bull.
In Las Vegas, both McLaren drivers were disqualified due to excessive wear on the plank under their cars. Then, in the penultimate race in Qatar, a strategic blunder meant neither driver pitted when the safety car was deployed on lap seven, unlike the rest of the field. This occurred in a race where Pirelli had mandated a maximum stint length of 25 laps.
This meant drivers who pitted on lap seven could do so again on lap 32 and finish on lap 57, while McLaren found their strategy completely compromised. Piastri finished second, and Norris fourth. This set up a three-way title fight in the final race for the first time since 2010, when four drivers were involved. Norris ultimately held on to his lead by just two points to clinch his maiden championship.
In 2026, the reigning champion appears revitalized, with upgrades to his MCL40 car allowing him to win the last two races, bringing him back into title contention. Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli has 242 points, with Norris 83 points behind on 159. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton share second place with 183 points, 59 behind Antonelli. Looking ahead, Norris subtly warned Mercedes that things can go wrong easily and quickly.
“Obviously, last year we were on the losing side, but there’s no point thinking about that,” Norris responded when asked if he could inflict on Antonelli what Verstappen almost did to him in 2025. “Honestly, I don’t care what I do next weekend or the weekend after. It’s good to know that such an opportunity exists, and of course, I hope both Mercedes drivers get a double disqualification in Vegas like us and decide not to pit in Qatar for a free stop. So, as long as they make the same mistakes, it will probably be just as easy. But yes, every year is different. I mean, for me, we are still trying to catch up on some things, but for now, I’m getting everything I can out of it, and that’s the only thing I can be happy about. So I’m happy. There’s still a long way to go. I’m optimistic; I still believe it’s possible, and that’s all I need right now,” added the reigning world champion.
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