Lando Norris says a steadier, more consistent approach over recent months has helped him retake the Formula 1 championship lead.
The 25-year-old Brit reclaimed top spot from McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri by a single point after a commanding victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Norris has now finished ahead of Piastri in five consecutive races and has closed the gap dramatically since the end of August.
“My mentality, preparation and approach have all improved,” Norris said, adding that consistency — regularly being on form and scoring points — has been the biggest factor in his recent upswing. He rejected the notion that he had begun taking wild risks after falling behind, saying his gains are mostly down to hard work and a strong team around him rather than a change in on-track philosophy.
Since the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August, where Piastri won and Norris retired with a fuel-line failure, Norris has outscored his team-mate by 35 points. Piastri still has one more victory this season than Norris, but the momentum has shifted in Norris’s favour.
Norris also said he is not dwelling on the fact he leads the standings for the first time since the fourth race of the year. With well over 120 points still available, he said nothing is decided and his immediate focus remains on winning the next race and the season finale.
This weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix begins a run of four races in five weekends that will decide the championship. Piastri arrives at Interlagos after two tricky weekends in the United States and Mexico, where he felt the car hadn’t been working in the same way it had earlier in the year.
Piastri said the recent issues are largely understood and explainable — some of the settings and driving techniques that paid off for much of the season were not delivering in the last events. He believes he is now better prepared to adapt to whatever conditions arise.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen remains a factor in the fight after a strong sequence of results that includes three wins and podium finishes in five recent races, cutting his deficit to the leader to 36 points from a much larger gap earlier in the year. Verstappen said he feels no extra pressure, proud of his season, and impressed by his team’s resilience.
He acknowledged the maths still make him the underdog: to overturn the lead he needs to score significantly more points than the leaders across the remaining rounds, and a little luck would probably help. Nonetheless, Verstappen said Red Bull will push for every opportunity — worst case a third-place finish in the standings, best case an unlikely title triumph.
With four races left, the title race remains open. Norris credits his improved consistency and team effort for putting him back in front, Piastri is working to restore the form that made him a favourite, and Verstappen refuses to rule out a late charge.
