Lando Norris has fired an F1 title warning shot at Purple Bull and Max Verstappen by boldly proclaiming that “subsequent 12 months’s going to be my 12 months”.
The McLaren driver missed out on the 2024 drivers’ world title to Verstappen, however his fourth victory of the marketing campaign on the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix helped McLaren safe their first constructors’ championship in 26 years.
After being knowledgeable McLaren had received their first constructors’ crown since 1998 after main Sunday’s race from begin to end, Norris confidently said over workforce radio: “Subsequent 12 months’s going to my 12 months, too”.
Talking in the course of the parc ferme interviews, Norris added: “This [2025 title] is my objective. That is our objective as a workforce. We need to win the constructors’. We need to win the drivers’ subsequent 12 months.
“I made my errors this 12 months, however I’ve realized loads, and I’ve realized loads from Max and my opponents round me.
“As a lot as I am glad now, I am excited to get subsequent 12 months going.”
Norris ‘believes in myself extra’
McLaren rejoice successful the constructors’ title
Norris feels he’s now significantly better positioned to problem for a world championship after studying essential classes throughout his first expertise of being in an F1 title combat this 12 months.
“One factor I’ve realized this 12 months might be to consider in myself a bit extra,” Norris stated.
“I’ve actually not come out on prime as usually as I might have preferred in sure moments as a driver, you already know, particularly in my fights in opposition to Max.
“As a lot because it hurts generally, I am in all probability glad about it now that I am going to enter subsequent season realizing that I can combat. And I do know myself, and I do know extra and higher than anybody what I want to enhance on, the place I am not robust sufficient, the place I am robust sufficient.
“You recognize, I am at all times open for criticism, issues like that. However I am the one who is aware of higher than the others, proper? So not in an conceited manner or a egocentric manner, however I do know that I’ve to enhance in lots of areas and sure issues. And I really feel like I’ve already finished that quite a bit within the final three, 4, 5 races. I really feel like I’ve delivered some very robust outcomes.
And the Briton is assured McLaren will head into subsequent season as potential favourites after reworking into the quickest workforce in F1 in 2024.
“Subsequent 12 months is hopefully a 12 months the place I can go in and determine earlier than the primary race we will combat for a championship,” he added.
“We have not ever considered that. We have not even had the sensation of it from a workforce perspective and in addition for me as a driver. So hopefully the following 12 months is that 12 months. And we clearly have lots of work to do. And Ferrari are going to be pushing loads.
“However that is one other 12 months. For now, I am simply going to rejoice with my workforce tonight and rejoice what they deserve.”