Norris: McLaren’s dominance makes title chase tougher
Lando Norris on Keeping F1 Championship Hopes Alive Despite McLaren Dominance
MONZA, Italy — Lando Norris says he doesn’t need Oscar Piastri to hit trouble to keep his Formula 1 championship hopes alive, even as McLaren’s current dominance leaves him fewer avenues to close the gap in the F1 title race.
Norris’ title bid took a hit when his car stopped late in last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort while running second behind teammate Piastri. The retirement left Piastri 34 points clear with nine races remaining — a margin that is difficult to overturn in modern Formula 1 points standings.
Norris on Competing Without Rival Misfortune
When asked if he was hoping for similar misfortune to befall his teammate, Norris dismissed the idea. “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. That's just how I am. “I don't wish it, I just wish that I can find that last little bit, that I can still win the championship without anything happening and that's the way I wish to do it. “It would certainly make my life easier if there were some more drivers in between every now ... the thing is, we're so dominant as a team, that almost makes my life harder, so that's really the most frustrating part of it all. “I still like to think may the best man win and if that's the case at the end of the season, then I'll respect that.”
McLaren Dominance and Championship Dynamics
McLaren has emerged as the class of the field and was headed for a fifth straight one-two before Norris’ late DNF at Zandvoort. That form gives Piastri a cushion that’s difficult to erode on pure results: if Norris were to win and Piastri finished second at the next five races, the lead would only then flip — underlining how McLaren’s F1 dominance can compress strategic options in the championship fight.
Focus on Maximizing Every Weekend
Norris said the only response is to maximize every weekend from here in the Italian Grand Prix stretch. “I can literally only look ahead to the next few races and try and do more than I've ever done. Yeah, that's it, if I lose the championship by those points, then I just have to keep my chin up, my head held high and try and do it again next year. “You know I can't dwell on those moments too much, it's not anyone's direct fault, even if it was, I just have to take my chin and move on, so that's what I'm trying to do.”
Handling Team Support and Unforeseen Issues
He added that McLaren CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella apologized after the failure, but he held no resentment toward the McLaren F1 team. “It just something that happens. It's not Andrea's fault, it's not Zak's fault,” he said. “We look back on, I think it was 60 something races without a technical failure, without any issues, I think that's a record for ourselves, I don't know if it's a record in Formula 1, but it's something we're pretty proud about. “So for that to happen now, that's just being unlucky, you know, it wasn't a bad job by anyone, it was just life -- various things coming together and then just being unlucky. “I don't know what I'm going to say in those moments. And I don't really know what they want to say either ... they apologise because they feel like they've let me down, the same as I apologise when I feel like I've let them down, otherwise ... it's life, like you just can't do anything about it.”
Monza and the Championship Outlook
Norris and Piastri arrive at Monza with McLaren in commanding form and the title picture sharpening. For Norris, the pathway remains clear but narrow in the F1 Italian Grand Prix spotlight: keep winning, hope for help from rivals, and let the math take care of itself.
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