Norris’ best chance yet: Can McLaren take him to the F1 title in 2025?

After a solid campaign to the runner-up spot in last year’s F1 Drivers’ Championship, Lando Norris will have only one position in mind for the end of the 2025 season. With McLaren entering a season as reigning Constructors’ Champions for the first time in 26 years as well, it could be a tough combination to beat. 

Locking horns with Max Verstappen throughout 2024, Norris has been outspoken about what he learned from those experiences, which could be the key to unlocking the potential he’s shown since he first joined the grid. With McLaren showing a strong hand in pre-season testing, the stars seem to be aligning for the young Brit, but there are still plenty of hurdles to overcome if he is to be crowned 2025 F1 Champion.

What did Norris learn fighting Verstappen last season?

Norris went head-to-head with Verstappen on multiple occasions in 2024, and more often than not, he lost out. Carrying those experiences into this season may help iron out the kinks from last year, and we could see a more well-rounded Lando this season.

Poor starts 

2024 highlighted race starts as one of the key elements that hampered Norris’ title tilt. Too often, he lost ground off the line, putting himself in a disadvantaged position from which he needed to fight back after Lap 1. Of his eight Grand Prix pole positions in 2024, he only converted three into victory. 

By getting off the line faster and being more decisive into Turn 1, Lando will be able to control races from the front and dictate the pace to suit his own strategy.

Elbows out

Verstappen is known for his aggressive and often controversial race craft, which caught Norris out at several pivotal moments throughout last season. 

Their high-profile clash at the Red Bull Ring paved the way for further incidents in Austin and Mexico City, and only in the latter did Lando come out on top. 

If Norris can take a stronger stance in on-track duels, he’ll stand a better chance of triumphing over the likes of Verstappen.

McLaren strategy faux pas

One of McLaren’s key mistakes in 2024 was focusing on covering off Red Bull rather than running their own race. 

This was most evident at the 2024 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where indecisive strategy from McLaren and Lando saw them match Max on scrubbed Soft tyres, rather than maximizing their own potential with the fresh Mediums they had at their disposal. 

In 2025, they must shift their approach to prioritize their own race strategy, rather than reacting to competitors.

McLaren’s strong pre-season test

One of the most encouraging signs for Norris' F1 title chances has been McLaren’s form in pre-season testing.

The Woking-based team ended 2024 with the fastest car, so it’s no surprise that they have a competitive entry this season, but early indications suggest that the team has produced a car that is not only quick over one lap but also over long runs. 

Norris’ race simulations were an outlier in the paddock, consistently one second quicker than comparative runs from Mercedes and Ferrari. The MCL38 was famed for being kind to its tyres; perhaps its successor will be even stronger in that regard.

READ MORE: 2025 F1 pre-season testing results

The Piastri problem

Even if McLaren has produced a car capable of fighting for championships, Norris isn’t guaranteed an easy run to the title this year.

Oscar Piastri was touted as a champion in the making ever since he joined the F1 grid in 2023. Last year though, he truly announced himself by taking his first win – albeit with controversial team orders in Hungary – and following it up with an irrefutable performance in Azerbaijan.  

If McLaren provides both its drivers with a race-winning car, Norris will need to keep one eye on his Australian team-mate.

The other contenders for the 2025 F1 title

While McLaren look to be the early favourite, the title is still a long way down the road, and if last season is anything to go by, the pace differential between teams could see dramatic swings from race to race.

• Ferrari: With Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari, the Scuderia now has one of the most formidable driver line-ups on the grid. Hamilton is chasing his eighth F1 title, while Charles Leclerc is hungry for his first after finishing second in 2022 and third in 2024. The runners up in last year’s team standings had good pace in testing to boot, so the scarlet cars could well be the main competition this year.
• Verstappen and Red Bull: Despite the Dutchman taking a fourth straight Drivers’ crown in 2024, this partnership suffered setbacks compared to their all-conquering 2023 form. To compound their problems, the RB21 looks a handful to drive. But write off the Milton Keynes squad at your peril. As he proved last year, Verstappen can hustle sub-par machinery to the top of the standings.
• Mercedes: Mercedes has promoted 18-year-old Italian prodigy Andrea Kimi Antonelli to partner George Russell. While they may not be title favourites at this stage, the W16 showed promise in testing with Russell topping the final day’s running and recording the fourth fastest time overall. The team at Brackley could yet spring a surprise this season.  

What awaits Norris in Melbourne and beyond

For the first time in his career, Norris looks set to be an F1 title contender from the very start of the season. McLaren looks to have delivered him a car capable of fighting at the front, and he’s gained crucial experience battling Verstappen last year.

But even with the cards stacking in his favour, there’ll be tough competition from Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes and even within his own team. 

Now more than ever, Lando is the master of his own destiny. If he can capitalise on the opportunity, utilising everything he learned last year, he could be on the verge of greatness. This is, undoubtedly, his best shot at the F1 crown yet.