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A driver like Lando Norris is easily a championship contender. The British racing ace is now in his fifth racing season in the sport and is only 23 years old. With both, age and experience on his side, he would’ve hoped to have been embarking on a championship journey by now. However, being stuck in the midfield with McLaren is the grueling reality the driver has to face. But is this enough to break the young star down?

Patience must be running low within the Norris camp. A driver of his caliber is definitely on the radar of many top teams. However, he has tied himself down with a long-term deal he has signed with McLaren. Naturally, you’d expect a bit of frustration from Norris. But his recent comments reflect the last bit of hope and confidence he has left in the team to turn things around albeit with a bit of disappointment.

Lando Norris rues missed chances

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The way the Woking-based team had progressed just a couple of years ago would’ve enticed the Brit to stick on with the storied team. However, with 2022 regulation reset, McLaren started it’s descend once again to the back end of the grid.

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This isn’t lost on Norris either. But he instead chooses to build the team back up. And he knows his team is as desperate to win as he is. He told The Race, “If I’m honest, I will say it’s below the expectation,” while lamenting the lack of performance he has been dealing with.

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He continued, “The thing is, it’s below the expectation of the team as well. And I think that’s known by everyone. I guess it’s a bit of the reason why there’s been quite a few changes.” Norris ended the conversation by admitting being falsely led on by the progress the team had been making in 2021.

“The trajectory in 2021 was very good. And the progression through ’22 was pretty reasonable.”

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But while Norris copes with McLaren’s struggles in the present, his sights are firmly set on the future.

Norris aims to win 2025 F1 title

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McLaren may be struggling currently. However, behind the scenes, big changes are underway at their Woking base. With structural changes and a new wind-tunnel coming soon, Norris hopes that 2025 will be the year he may take that elusive title win.

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He told GQ Magazine, “With everything I’ve learned, maybe I could win a race, but I’m unlikely to win a championship until possibly that time. I know I need to be at the absolute top of my game in those years.”

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Written by

Anirban Aly Mandal

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Anirban Aly Mandal is a senior F1 writer at EssentiallySports, with over 500 articles published on the platform. Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 while playing on his computer, and he has since then dived deep into the world of motorsports. Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports.
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