Former F1 world champion Jenson Button has admitted he thought Lando Norris’ “hiding his coronary heart” can be his “break” within the 2025 title race.
The McLaren driver made his first critical title problem in 2024, however in the end fell brief to Max Verstappen after the Pink Bull driver had an underwhelming begin to the season.
Nonetheless, McLaren in the end completed 2024 with the most effective automotive on the grid, so Lando Norris went into final season as one of many favorites to tackle Verstappen.
In a tense 2025 season, Norris got here from behind teammate Oscar Piastri within the first half of the season to emerge world champion by simply two factors.
With McLaren adhering to the “papaya rule”, intra-team tensions between Norris and Piastri led to occasional outbursts from the previous.
Jenson Button, the 2009 champion and driver who changed Norris as Britain’s newest title winner, admitted he felt this may in the end be the McLaren driver’s undoing.
“Rand carries his coronary heart near his coronary heart,” Button mentioned. BBC Somerset.
“And, to be trustworthy, I believed that will be his downfall.
“His expertise is unquestionable. His pace is just unimaginable. I nonetheless vividly keep in mind when he accomplished his first take a look at with McLaren in Hungary. He was tremendous quick from the beginning.”
After profitable the 2025 season opener in Australia, Norris didn’t stand on the highest step of the rostrum once more till the Monaco Grand Prix.
He went on to win 5 extra instances in Austria, England, Hungary, Mexico and Brazil.
As F1 switches to new automobiles, McLaren will retain Norris and Piastri for the 2026 season.
Woking Group will announce the 2026 mannequin 12 months automotive on February ninth.
In the USA, Pink Bull and Racing Bulls will unveil their 2026 livery on January fifteenth.
Pre-season testing will start behind closed doorways in Barcelona from January 26-30, with McLaren hoping to efficiently apply the brand new rules to keep up its present competitiveness.
