'Nothing Special'- Lando Norris on beating Max Verstappen in F1 2025 season

McLaren driver Lando Norris is confident of winning the F1 2025 season title. The McLaren driver enjoyed his most successful Formula 1 season last year. He won his first race in Miami and started his dominance against Red Bull and Ferrari. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri brought the F1 constructors championship back to McLaren camp after 26 years. But Max Verstappen was too much for the two, as they failed to beat him and the Dutchman added one more title to his three crowns. 

The 2025 season will be very tough for Max Verstappen, as his rivals McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari have grown strong and beating them all together will be an uphill task for him. The Red Bull driver will also have a new teammate, Liam Lawson and taking on the more experienced rivals with a less experienced co-driver will be difficult for him. 

Many experts predict this year will be between Ferrari and McLaren, as Red Bull’s performance last year was not promising. But the Dutchman is known for his resilience and emerged as the victor even in the most dangerous driving conditions. Lando Norris has spoken about his challenges this year and his battles with Max Verstappen. In the 2024 season, many criticised Lando for letting Max easily during wheel-to-wheel battles.

Smarter than Special-Lando Norris

He even got a 10-second penalty during the United States Grand Prix for going wide and taking advantage. The British driver said he should get his elbow out while battling Max Verstappen this season. He also stressed that he doesn't need to bring anything special against Verstappen but needs to be smart against him. 

Norris said, “I need to get my elbows out and I need to show him that I’m not going to willingly give him any positions, those kinds of things. But I also have to be a smart driver. You have to be a smart driver to go up against Max. We saw it last year. I look forward to more battles with Verstappen. I like those moments when you have to make those quick decisions.”

The easier way for Lando Norris to beat Max Verstappen is to go faster than him and stay ahead throughout the race, rather than make mistakes and go on wheel to wheel with the Dutchman. This is also the smartest way to beat Max, as he is one of the best in neck-to-neck battles. The 2025 Formula 1 season starts in Australia's Albert Park circuit on March 14th. F1 pundits think this year will be a four-way battle between the top teams.

 Also Read: Red Bull's 2026 Power unit issues a major concern for Max Verstappen