Lando Norris stopped Max Verstappen’s title streak and heads into this season because the reigning F1 champion.
Lando Norris is the reigning F1 champion heading into 2026 (Picture: Getty)
Lando Norris often is the defending Formulation 1 champion, however his rivals on the grid will not but concern him on monitor. That’s the view of former racer Juan Pablo Montoya who feels Max Verstappen nonetheless very a lot has the higher hand in terms of his intimidatory presence whereas battling wheel-to-wheel with others.
Norris spent a lot of final season locked in an in depth title battle with team-mate Oscar Piastri as McLaren dominated the grid for the primary two-thirds of the marketing campaign. However Pink Bull discovered additional tempo within the latter levels of the yr, sufficient for Verstappen to place himself again into competition, although he was finally pipped to the title by Norris.
That delivered to an finish Verstappen’s run of championship successes, which he would have prolonged to 5 in a row had it not been for Norris remaining calm beneath strain within the Abu Dhabi finale. Whereas that was clearly a formidable feat, former McLaren and Williams racer Montoya believes the Brit has to do extra earlier than different begin fearing him.
“I feel they’ll gun extra for the individuals who have gotten the quickest automobile,” the Colombian advised Vision4Sport, who provide F1 hospitality packages. “For individuals to concern Lando Norris, he must win one other one or two extra championships. Final season, he gained with one of the best automobile, he took benefit of one of the best automobile and did a mega job and gained the championship.
“Nevertheless it wasn’t like when Max gained his first championship that was all of the drama with Lewis Hamilton. That first championship for Max was a giant factor. The following championship? In all probability anyone that automobile would have been world champion. And that is how lots of people take a look at Lando. However the actuality of this sport is that if you do not have the quickest automobile, you do not win.”
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Brown stated: “There are some drivers that say, ‘I’ve executed it, now I am executed’. After which you’ve drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher who go, ‘I’ve executed it as soon as, now I wish to do it twice and three and 4 instances’.
“Lando’s confidence may be very excessive. He is extremely motivated. It is our job to provide he and Oscar [Piastri] tools once more to have the ability to let him struggle it out for the championship. But when we will try this, I’d suppose Oscar and Lando will each be in with a shout.”
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