Lando Norris feels "relaxed" as he prepares to potentially win his first ever Formula 1 World Championship at the Qatar Grand Prix. The McLaren driver is just 24 points ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, with a second place finish in Qatar guaranteeing him the title.
Norris has spoken about how he approaches this situation: "I feel as relaxed as I was before when I was 35 points behind the lead and I feel the same when I'm 24 points ahead. That's my strength for now." He also acknowledged that Verstappen had mounted an impressive fightback, saying "How I am now feels the same as before Mexico when I wasn't leading."
Piastri is trailing Norris by 24 points and admits that the gap between them is significant: "There's still a chance... Obviously, I also know that it's a bit of an outside shot. Even if I have a perfect final two weekends, I can't just rely on that." However, he remains confident in his team's ability to make improvements.
Verstappen has won four of the past seven races and is looking to extend his lead. He said: "Ready. See what happens." The Red Bull driver believes the championship is closer than it was at the start of the season and will be going all out to win it.
Norris's focus, meanwhile, remains on the task at hand: treating this weekend like any other, rather than letting his team-mate Piastri or Verstappen affect his preparation. "We treat it very normally... nothing needs to be treated any differently," he said. Despite being disappointed by their recent qualifying and racing performances in Vegas, Norris says the pace of his car has been promising.
The Qatar Grand Prix is shaping up to be a crucial event in the championship, with the title battle all but over for most teams. But Piastri's determination and Verstappen's form suggest that anything can happen on Sunday.
Norris has spoken about how he approaches this situation: "I feel as relaxed as I was before when I was 35 points behind the lead and I feel the same when I'm 24 points ahead. That's my strength for now." He also acknowledged that Verstappen had mounted an impressive fightback, saying "How I am now feels the same as before Mexico when I wasn't leading."
Piastri is trailing Norris by 24 points and admits that the gap between them is significant: "There's still a chance... Obviously, I also know that it's a bit of an outside shot. Even if I have a perfect final two weekends, I can't just rely on that." However, he remains confident in his team's ability to make improvements.
Verstappen has won four of the past seven races and is looking to extend his lead. He said: "Ready. See what happens." The Red Bull driver believes the championship is closer than it was at the start of the season and will be going all out to win it.
Norris's focus, meanwhile, remains on the task at hand: treating this weekend like any other, rather than letting his team-mate Piastri or Verstappen affect his preparation. "We treat it very normally... nothing needs to be treated any differently," he said. Despite being disappointed by their recent qualifying and racing performances in Vegas, Norris says the pace of his car has been promising.
The Qatar Grand Prix is shaping up to be a crucial event in the championship, with the title battle all but over for most teams. But Piastri's determination and Verstappen's form suggest that anything can happen on Sunday.
24 points ahead of his teammate and Verstappen is closing in, but Lando seems to be staying calm 
. Meanwhile Piastri is being super realistic about his chances, saying there's an outside shot, but still keeping it positive 
. And Verstappen just said "ready" like he's all set to take the title... 
gotta see how this all plays out on Sunday! 
he seems so chill about it all & i can totes relate lol 
i mean, who doesn't feel like they're just going through the motions sometimes? but at the same time, you gotta stay focused & give it your all. i love how he's approaching this with a level head 
but Norris seems like he's got this! 
fingers crossed for him 
I mean I've been in situations where I was so close to achieving my goals, but had doubts if I'd actually get them, you know? Norris is right though, approaching it like any other week, can't let the pressure get to him 
Verstappen's all in though, love his straightforward approach 
. It'll be interesting to see what happens on Sunday, feels like it could go either way 
! He's so chill about potentially winin' his first F1 World Championship, it's like he's already got the trophy in his hands 
. I think what I love most about him is that he's not lettin' any pressure get to him. He's just focusin' on doin' his thing and treatin' this weekend like any other - no drama, no stress 
.
. He's 24 points ahead of Piastri and Verstappen, so it's lookin' good for him! But at the same time, I think it's awesome that Piastri is still holdin' onto hope and sayin' that he can't give up 
.
. He's reminded us all that even when we're feelin' like we're on top of the world, there's always room for improvement. And I think that's somethin' we can all learn from 
. Bring it on, Qatar Grand Prix! 
Verstappen's been on fire 
with 4 wins in the last 7 races 
and his team's makin progress 
The title's almost in Norris's hands 
or Oscar 
and his approach is all about treating it like any other race no pressure no stress. but at the same time u can feel the weight of the championship on his shoulders 
gotta be some pressure on him 
... I mean, come on, 24 points ahead of the lead? That's a pretty big gap to close down 
... I guess only time will tell