Is it denial, ignorance, or a positive mental attitude? Whatever it is, Lando Norris is refusing to give up hope of winning this year’s drivers’ championship.
That is, at least, according to the press release issued by McLaren ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix in which Norris is quoted saying: “Everyone’s motivated and ready to give it our all in the fight for both championships.”
The reality is of course that the drivers’ title is out of reach barring an absolute miracle, while the constructors’ championship is a realistic option, given McLaren sit at the top of the pile with a 36-point lead over Ferrari.
Norris’s own challenge ultimately went up in smoke on lap 43 in Sao Paulo. As Verstappen passed Esteban Ocon for the lead, Norris locked up and went long into Turn 1, which dropped him back to seventh. In that moment, the momentum that the McLaren driver had built up over the previous races came to a sudden halt.
Verstappen’s win in Brazil left Norris 62 points shy of the Red Bull driver, who can clinch his fourth straight title this week in Las Vegas, the first race in the final triple-header of the year.
In the fallout from the Sao Paulo race, McLaren’s team principal Andrea Stella said winning the drivers’ title was never the main goal but instead it was the constructors’ title it wanted.
Stella said: “In terms of the constructors’ championship, I don’t think it changes anything.
“It was always our priority. Even when there was a call to be made to support one driver or the other, it was always secondary to that to maximising the constructors’ championship.”
One suspects however that Norris has a different opinion. Which is why, if he does see Verstappen crowned this weekend, Norris’s reaction will be crucial to assessing his ability to recover from this latest setback.
Over the past two seasons, where McLaren have delivered him a car that has put him into contention for victories, Norris has been noticeably hard on himself whenever he had not capitalised to convert the result into a win.
Even from a media perspective - and let’s not delve into the British bias debate - it has been incredibly uncomfortable to watch at times as he wrestles with his mental demons.
It is, of course, nothing new. When he missed the chance to win the 2021 Russian Grand Prix, sliding off track in the rain having led from pole position, he retreated to his driver’s room in the team’s hospitality and sat in the dark, still with his race suit and helmet on, for a good 45 minutes as he processed his defeat.
The question now is, how will he compute this latest inability to convert what is widely-regarded as the quickest car on the grid into a world title?
PLUS: The point of perspective that explains why Norris’s title hopes were not blown in Brazil
To his ultimate credit, Norris has always been open about his mental health, which should be applauded. How he copes during the winter is likely to offer him another test, which would even turn out to be his biggest yet.
There's the uncertainty of knowing whether McLaren will be able to produce another quick car, or indeed whether its rivals will surpass the papaya cars on track. Knowing just how good his team-mate Oscar Piastri is will also likely weigh heavy.
Stella has always maintained that his driver’s mental strength is impressive and that he has always coped extraordinarily well. If that is indeed the case, then that bodes well for Norris next season.
PLUS: The sporting greats Norris must emulate to beat Verstappen
For while this year’s failure to win the title could see him beat himself up in the short-term, it also offers Norris the potential to learn from his disappointment, making him mentally tougher than ever before.
Norris needs to live in hope - but it is not for this year. That championship is done. Really, he should already be focusing on 2025.
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