Formula 1, Melbourne GP Qualifying news, results: Norris eyes Verstappen’s grip on title

McLaren star Lando Norris says he is now better equipped for a world championship title fight after learning from the “unique” experience of battling Max Verstappen last year.

McLaren star Lando Norris says he is now better equipped for a world championship title fight after learning from the “unique” experience of battling Max Verstappen last year.

Norris pushed the Red Bull ace in the title race last season, but fell 63 points short to finish championship runner-up as Verstappen went on to claim a fourth straight world crown.

In the best season of his Formula One career, Norris claimed four race wins as he helped steer McLaren to its first constructors’ championship in 25 years alongside his Aussie teammate Oscar Piastri.

Norris has been widely tipped as the early championship favourite for 2025 and said he is now better prepared to deliver in his on-track duels with Verstappen.

The Brit backed up pre-season talk of his favouritism to be fastest in the opening practice session at Albert Park on Friday and third-fastest in the second session behind Charles Leclerc and Piastri.

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McLaren driver Lando Norris leaves the pit garage during P2. Picture: David Caird

Speaking ahead of the season-opening race in Melbourne, the Brit acknowledged his racing deficiencies last year and said a title battle against any other driver would not have been as “hard” as Verstappen was the one most likely to “push the boundaries”.

“I learned a lot of things last year,” Norris said.

“I think I learned two big things. One was I clearly wasn’t quite ready to deliver on everything that (I) needed to deliver on from a racing point of view.

“That’s just because racing against Max is a unique situation and you don’t get to experience it in any other way of life until you really get to that point.

Lando Norris, pictured greeting fans upon arrival at Albert Park, has his eyes on the world championship. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“I think had it been a battle against different drivers, I don’t know if it would have been the same. It definitely probably wouldn’t have been as hard.

“I think that’s probably a fair assessment because I do think Max will be the hardest guy to race against, he was always going to be the one that is most willing to push the limits and push the boundaries like he did, so I learned that aspect off Max.

“I also learned where I stood in that situation, which was not at the right level and I have learned from those things.”

Norris felt he had even been able to put some of those learnings into practice towards the end of last season when he finished with a season-ending win in Abu Dhabi.

“I think already in the last couple of races, I improved on a lot of those situations,” the 25-year-old said.

“But every situation is different in Formula One, so if some of them happen again, it’s not always a guarantee I will make the right decision and Max will make the right decision or any other driver will make the right decision.

“It’s a tough one because you don’t make those decisions now, you have to make them on track, half a second before it happens and you don’t have a lot of time to think about the whole situation.”

But Norris predicted the title race this season was unlikely to come down to just a battle between Verstappen and himself.

McLaren’s Lando Norris predicted teammate Oscar Piastri would be among the title contenders in 2025. Picture: Getty Images

“I’m just excited to have another crack at it and see what I can do, and go up against any driver,” Norris said.

“I don’t think I am just going to be racing against Max this year, I think it’s going to be Charles (Leclerc), Lewis (Hamilton), it’s going to be Oscar (Piastri), it’s going to be both Red Bull drivers and Mercedes drivers, too.

“I look forward to all of the battles and, of course, the more wars that can be on track between others, the better for us, but I don’t expect that to happen too much.”

Speaking after Friday practice, Norris said he had not been satisfied with his car’s balance, despite his practice position.

“I think it’s been a good start to the weekend, we’ve got a good baseline,” Norris said.

“But certainly I’m not happy, not confident with the car in terms of finding the best balance, especially on low fuel. On high fuel I felt good, just low fuel, similar to Bahrain, too many inconsistencies, too many problems, so a bit of a struggle.

“I think we will be strong, Ferrari will be strong. But we will see.”

Originally published as Formula 1, Melbourne GP Qualifying news, results: Norris eyes Verstappen’s grip on title