Missing the F1 title would be no failure, says Norris
Formula One F1 - Austrian Grand Prix - Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria - June 29, 2025 McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates on the podium after winning the Austrian Grand Prix REUTERS/Gintare Karpaviciute
LONDON - Lando Norris said he would not consider his 2025 season a failure if he fell short in his quest to win a maiden Formula One world title.
Norris cut the deficit to McLaren teammate and drivers' championship leader Oscar Piastri to 15 points in winning last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix and goes into his home British race at Silverstone saying he is a better driver than a year ago despite some error-strewn moments.
The 25-year-old started the season as championship favourite but has been eclipsed by his younger teammate, who has won five grands prix to Norris's three.
It now looks increasingly like a two-horse race with Max Verstappen 46 points behind Norris.
Should he fail to win the drivers' crown, Norris said on Wednesday: "I'd have to say I didn't succeed in what my goal was but I don't think you can ever call it a failure because I don't believe like I've failed anything.
"I feel like maybe I just didn't live up to what I believed I could have done or the level I should have done at certain times.
"I think if things were much easier and you don't achieve your goal maybe you can call it a failure but when it's 24 races it's such a long season against the best in the world I don't think you can ever call it a failure. Maybe you didn't succeed."
Norris has been undone by errors in both qualifying and races but dominated the weekend in Spielberg to hold off a race-long challenge from his teammate.
"I certainly think I've improved," he said. "It may be very easy to say the opposite from the outside because I've just made some more mistakes. But I certainly feel like I'm a more complete driver."
He said self-inflicted pressure was stronger than anything external.
"It's more the desire, almost too much desire inside to want to do such a good job every weekend, to deliver for the team," he said.
"I want to deliver for the team and I want to win. I kind of put myself under the pressure too much but I understand that."
While Silverstone might be seen as the ultimate pressure, a home race he has yet to win, he saw it otherwise.
"It almost distracts you more in a good way, distracts you more by having your fans and your supporters there," he said.
"You're almost more there enjoying the moment rather than 'I've got to do this for them', as much as that is probably a thought prior to the weekend." REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
31 minutes ago
- Straits Times
All Black wing Rieko Ioane warns ‘dangerous' France are no B-team
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox New Zealand's Rieko Ioane has warned his team not to underestimate a weakened France side. DUNEDIN – All Blacks wing Rieko Ioane said on July 3 he expects French players to have a chip on their shoulder after being dubbed a B-team ahead of the three match series against New Zealand. France sent a squad with 20 uncapped players to New Zealand for the three-Test series which begins on July 5 in Dunedin. But Ioane, who has been moved to the wing by head coach Scott Robertson for the first time in four years, said he was not viewing France as a B-team. 'If I was that team travelling over here, I would have that chip on my shoulder, you know,' he said. 'Everyone's calling them a B-team, but they aren't. The energy they bring and the intensity that they train at will be at a level that some of their players that are at home would bring during a Test week. 'So if anything, they're more of a dangerous beast than we're going to be used to, and we've got to expect everything.' Former All Blacks have been vocal in their criticism of the weakened French squad. Ex-scrum-half Justin Marshall told Sky Sport that the squad was 'total BS' and France were sending only a development team. New Zealand media have highlighted that 11 of the 20 new caps do not have Wikipedia pages. 'I know there's been a lot of talk about it, but I'm not sure that the players would feel that way,' Ioane added. 'We know that there's going to be a huge challenge no matter who is out there.' Ioane also said the All Blacks were focused on their own game, and would not be distracted by who they play against. He said he has had enough to think about playing on the wing for the All Blacks for the first time since 2021. 'Yeah, look, it's been getting the rust off the first couple of days,' Ioane admitted. 'Was pretty good that we had that camp up in Auckland. I'm going to be comfortable by the time game day rolls around. My connection with Billy (Proctor), Will (Jordan), Sevu (Reece), everyone around me is growing.' At the end of the year, Ioane will move abroad for a six-month sabbatical with Irish side Leinster. It comes after Jordie Barrett completed a sabbatical at the club, praising the physicality of the game in the northern hemisphere. Ioane famously shushed Irish fans after New Zealand's quarter-final victory at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He also ended up in a war of words with Ireland's Johnny Sexton. AFP
Straits Times
31 minutes ago
- Straits Times
England boss Sarina Wiegman says team well-prepared for sweltering Swiss heat
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox ZURICH – England manager Sarina Wiegman is confident that her players will be well prepared for the Switzerland heatwave when they begin the defence of their Women's European Championship title against France in Zurich on July 5. Wiegman was thankful for the recent warm weather in England that allowed them to get in some early heat acclimatisation. 'Of course, we have protocols in place, strategies, which players who have been around longer are familiar with... because they played in circumstances like this,' she said from the team's base camp on July 2. 'I think we could already practise (in the heat) the first week of our training camp, because in England it was really hot too.' England's heat protocols including wearing ice vests and towels, sitting in ice baths and drinking ice slushies. They also use cryotherapy, which involves applying extremely cold temperatures either locally with ice packs or cooling sprays, or in a cryotherapy chamber. '(We also) make sure we are hydrated. Of course, taking enough rest,' Wiegman added. 'Don't go in and out all the time. That's for your recovery. And do those things to keep your body temperature low.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore Over 40% of Singaporean seniors have claimed SG60 vouchers: Low Yen Ling Asia 4 dead, 38 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali Singapore $1.46b nickel-trading scam: Ng Yu Zhi's bid for bail midway through trial denied by High Court Singapore Pedestrian-only path rules to be enforced reasonably; focus on errant cyclists: Baey Yam Keng Singapore Jail for 'sugar daddy' who gave minor cash for sex, threatened to post her explicit videos online Singapore Train service resumes across Bukit Panjang LRT line after power fault led to 3-hour disruption Singapore Is using Gen AI for schoolwork and tests cheating? The temperature climbed to 33 degrees Celsius in Zurich on July 2 but conditions are expected to cool down slightly before the weekend. The kick-off in the England match is at 9pm local time, and the temperature at night will likely be lower as well. European football governing body UEFA is taking the warm weather seriously, with free sunscreen available around stadiums and fan zones and a relaxation of the rules about taking water bottles into the stadiums. The normally strict security rules were relaxed to allow fans attending matches on the first two days – Wednesday and Thursday – to bring a half-litre plastic or aluminium water bottle into the stadium, though no glass bottles will be allowed. Wiegman said after Saturday's game that the team would meet with England's medical staff to gauge how the players managed the conditions. 'And then we move forward on to the next game,' she said. England, who edged Germany 2-1 at Wembley Stadium to win Euro 2022, are in a tough group in Switzerland, with France, the Netherlands and Wales. REUTERS
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Normality returns to Wimbledon as Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka ease through
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Carlos Alcaraz in action during his second round match against Oliver Tarvet on July 2. LONDON - Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and the end of London's tropical heatwave ensured that a sense of normality returned to the lawns of Wimbledon on July 2 after two sweat-soaked days of shocks, although Jasmine Paolini's exit meant the surprises did not end. A stream of big names including Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev crashed and burned in the oven-like temperatures of the first round. So when Alcaraz walked on Centre Court to continue his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title against British qualifier Oliver Tarvet, the thought surely lurked somewhere in his mind that he could be the fall guy in the event's greatest upset. The 22-year-old second seed was not at his best but after saving three break points in a nervy first service game against a college student ranked 733rd in the world, he asserted his authority to win 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. Earlier on Centre Court, women's top seed Sabalenka battled to a 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 win against Czech Marie Bouzkova. "Honestly, it is sad to see so many upsets in the tournament, in both draws, women's and men's," said Sabalenka, who is bidding for her first Wimbledon title. "I'm just trying to focus on myself... I hope there are no more upsets in this tournament." That was not to be, as 2024 runner-up Paolini joined the mass exodus of fancied players when she crashed out 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 against Russian Kamilla Rakhimova. However, Australian Open champion Madison Keys, the sixth seed, made it safely into round three by beating Olga Danilovic 6-4, 6-2 while unseeded four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka eased past Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-2. Lower temperatures did not necessarily mean more comfortable outings as world No. 12 Frances Tiafoe became the 14th of the 32 men's seeds to fall, losing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 against Cameron Norrie, one of seven Britons in singles action on day three. The American was joined later on by Czech 23rd seed Jiri Lehecka, last month's Queen's Club Championships runner-up, who fell 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, 7-5 to Italian Mattia Bellucci. Home charge Ashlyn Krueger, the American 31st seed, was then beaten 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 by Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, ensuring 15 of the 32 women's seeds also went out of the tournament. Sonay Kartal led the home charge by defeating Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova 6-2, 6-2 to book her place in the last 32 for the second year in succession while the nation's big hope Emma Raducanu got past 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-3. There was disappointment for Britain's Katie Boulter, who served 14 double faults as she crashed 6-7 (7-9), 6-2, 6-1 to 101st-ranked Solana Sierra, the Argentine who lost in qualifying but has seized her lucky loser spot with both hands. Alcaraz, bidding to do the French Open-Wimbledon double for the second successive year, needed five sets to get past Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in the opening round and set up an intriguing clash with 21-year-old Tarvet. Tarvet, who plays on the United States collegiate circuit for the University of San Diego, said he believed he could beat anyone, even Alcaraz, after winning his Grand Slam debut match against fellow qualifier Leandro Riedi of Switzerland on Monday. He was clearly not overawed at sharing a court with a five-time major champion and had he taken any of the eight break points he earned in the first set it could have been closer. Alcaraz proved a step too far though as he moved through the gears when required to keep an eager Tarvet under control. Just as the Spaniard did in his first round when going to the aid of a female spectator suffering in the heat, Alcaraz again endeared himself to the Centre Court crowd. "First of all I have to give a big congratulations to Oliver, it's his second match on the tour. I just loved his game to be honest, the level he played," Alcaraz said. Play on courts without roofs was delayed for two hours by light morning rain but once the clouds rolled away the place to be for fans without showcourt tickets was Court 12 for Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca's match against American Jenson Brooksby. The 18-year-old is widely tipped as a future challenger to the domination of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and he showed why during a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 win that was celebrated by a large contingent of exuberant Brazilians. Andrey Rublev, who suffered a bruising loss to Fonseca in the Australian Open first round earlier this year, battled past Lloyd Harris 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 before Taylor Fritz closed out the day with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-0), 4-6, 6-3 win over Gabriel Diallo. REUTERS
