Lando Norris has openly shared his thoughts and feelings after a rollercoaster Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, admitting that he is applying “a bit too much pressure” on himself to be perfect weekend in, weekend out.
Norris arrived at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit with the championship lead and impressed through practice, but a Qualifying crash left him 10th on the grid while fellow title challengers Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri started at the front.
Although Norris managed to recover to fourth position, limiting the damage of the incident, it was not enough to stop team mate Piastri from moving to the top of the standings with three victories from the opening five races in 2025.
Norris recovered from 10th to fourth after a Qualifying crash in Saudi Arabia
In a post-race appearance on the F1 Nation podcast, Norris set out the factors that he feels led up to his Saturday shunt, as well as how he bounced back from it.
“I was quite relaxed,” he said of his mindset in the build-up to the race. “I put in my headphones for the first time ever. I’ve never worn headphones on the grid. It’s when I perform well, when I’m having fun and I’m relaxed.
“I’m probably putting a bit too much pressure on myself at the minute, not because of any [particular] reason, and not because of the championship and all these things. I just put too much pressure on myself because I want to do well, like I want to do so well.
“I want to be pole, I want to win, I want to be perfect, and I think I need to accept a little bit more that I’m not going to be perfect, and I’m making mistakes because I’m trying to be perfect, rather than the other way around.”
Race Highlights: 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Norris went on to explain how he will tweak that approach moving forward – as well as underlining the belief he has in his abilities and championship chances.
“I think I just need to chill out a little bit and have a bit more trust in my speed, because my speed today, and my speed in every race this season, has been, I think, the best,” he continued.
TECH WEEKLY: How McLaren are making the difference in F1’s intriguing 2025 aerodynamic race
“I’m very confident that I can win the races if I just give myself a better chance on Saturday. It’s easier said than done, and I need to go out and do a better job on Saturdays, but that’s what I’ll be working on.”
Norris sits 10 points behind Piastri and two ahead of Red Bull’s Verstappen as F1 moves on to Miami, where the 25-year-old Briton claimed his maiden Grand Prix win last year.
RACE TICKETS – MIAMI
Don’t miss your chance to experience the Miami Grand Prix…