McLaren’s Lando Norris still believes he can beat team-mate Oscar Piastri to the 2025 Formula 1 title without any drama to even out his own Zandvoort retirement.
Norris lost a certain second place at last week’s Dutch Grand Prix when his smoking McLaren ground to a halt with seven laps to go, allowing race winner Piastri to race 34 points clear in the drivers’ standings.
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Norris still has nine race weekends to make up ground on his Australian team-mate, although that means he has to find a way to consistently beat Piastri and reverse a trend in which the Australian had a slight edge in recent races.
McLaren’s dominance will also make it tougher for the Briton to make huge inroads without Piastri suffering any misfortune of his own to settle the score, but the 25-year-old still believes he can get the job done in a straight fight to the finish line in Abu Dhabi.
“I can still win the championship without anything happening and that’s the way I wish to do it,” Norris insisted. “It would certainly make my life easier if there were just some more drivers in between every now and then.
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Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
“The thing is, we’re so dominant as a team that it almost makes my life harder. So, that’s really the most frustrating part of it all.”
But there’s no part of Norris that wishes any misfortune on his team-mate to level the score on the reliability front. “No, because in the end, if he’s done a better job, I give credit to him and I say he’s done a better job,” he said. “That’s just how I am. I don’t wish it [upon him].
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“May the best driver win, and if that’s the case at the end of the season then I’ll respect that.”
Photos from Italian GP – Thursday
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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A general view of the track surroundings
A general view of the track surroundings
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
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Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
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Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing
Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing
Clive Rose / Getty Images
A general view of the old banking
A general view of the old banking
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A general view of the track surroundings
A general view of the track surroundings
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Clive Rose / Getty Images
Tyres in the McLaren garage
Tyres in the McLaren garage
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Clive Rose / Getty Images
A view of the memorial site
A view of the memorial site
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Alex Albon, Williams, George Russell, Mercedes
Alex Albon, Williams, George Russell, Mercedes
Clive Rose / Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Rudy Carezzevoli – Getty Images
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Clive Rose / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
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Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
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George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
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Mattia Binotto, COO and CTO F1 Team Kick Sauber
Mattia Binotto, COO and CTO F1 Team Kick Sauber
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Clive Rose / Getty Images
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
Clive Rose / Getty Images
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Clive Rose / Getty Images
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
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Paul Aron, Alpine F1
Paul Aron, Alpine F1
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Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Clive Rose / Getty Images
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
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Carlos Sainz, Williams
Carlos Sainz, Williams
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Alexander Albon, Williams
Alexander Albon, Williams
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
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Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Paul Aron, Alpine F1
Paul Aron, Alpine F1
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Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
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Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
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Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
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Alexander Albon, Williams
Alexander Albon, Williams
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Mark Thompson / Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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