How Norris toughened up and got the mentality of Champions

Forer Formula 1 driver turned pundit, Herbert also praised Max Verstappen for keeping the Abu Dhabi finale clean, calling it a pure display from a racer who single-handedly kept the season alive, while making Norris work hard for the greatest prize in motorsport.

Herbert said Norris had shown world champion potential since childhood: "Lando Norris always had the potential to be a world champion. You don't achieve what he did in karting and be involved with the world championships like he was and then rise through the ranks. It's not a surprise that he's got himself into this position and it's lovely seeing that chuckling young man turn into that totally professional driver who did what he did at the weekend."

He added that the emotional reaction from Norris’s family captured the significance of the moment. Herbert said: "It's no surprise that he has been able to achieve this. I am pleased for the whole family, especially his mum.

"She is one of those characters who, when she goes to the races, she's at the back of the garage with her head in her hands, worrying like hell. So, for her to have that and see the emotion that they all had with the sisters and brother after the race was wonderful."

Herbert said the early part of Norris’s career brought criticism, but those moments forged the resilience required to win a title: "I'm very happy for Lando because in the early part of his career there was always a bit of criticism, was always a bit of negativity around him, with critics saying that he needed to get tougher and he needed to play a game within the team."

Norris’s honesty, Herbert argued, was once viewed as a weakness but ultimately became a powerful internal tool: "His honesty has meant he has at times been his own worst critic. And he’s been criticised for that. That, though, is part of his character and being a critic of yourself can be a very positive thing and he has shown that because he's hard on himself he's been able to push himself."

Herbert pointed to Daniel Ricciardo’s arrival at McLaren in 2021 as the turning point. "Is this the same giggly emotional Lando that we first saw when he came into Formula 1? No, it's not. It was when he had Daniel Ricciardo come on board with McLaren in 2021, that was the real start of not being friends with his teammate. That was a very positive step mentally for him to be able to think about Lando and only about Lando."

He added that Norris’s ability to beat Oscar Piastri in decisive moments underlined his growth. Herbert said: "All the champions that I've raced against and been around have got a very similar demeanour, which is they're not your friend. That is where they've always got that competitive edge to try and bring you down and with Oscar, in a very similar mindset in many respects, he's been able to bring him down this year."

Herbert added that Norris overcame his one remaining weakness, his starts, through maturity and self-analysis: "He still had one thing that was still an issue, which was his starts, but he's been able to overcome them. It's taken a little bit of time to do that, but he has matured and found a way of being able to make those starts count."

Herbert said Norris’s development has mirrored and at times surpassed his contemporaries: "It’s a situation that everybody peaks at different times in their lives in whatever sport. When Max came into F1, there was a boom, a bang and a crash, and a wallop had you knew he had arrived. He had that mental strength straight away. Lando, in contrast, did not."

He compared Norris with George Russell: "He and George came up together, and George was probably slightly more mature in many respects. But I think what's happened, which has been very interesting to me, it's actually swapped over. I think it seems as if Lando has matured quicker than George."

Herbert said this shift allowed Norris to absorb pressure and lead a title campaign against Verstappen and Piastri. "That athletic brain has allowed him to blossom and carry the challenge of the championship and both Oscar and Max under pressure."

He added that Verstappen’s own comments highlighted Norris’s progress: "Max said this weekend it was probably the best that he's ever driven, especially this year, and if that is the case, that again shows how much Lando has improved."

Herbert believes Norris still has a higher ceiling. He said: "The mentality of Lando is a strength that is still only going to get better. He's going to learn from this experience. And going forward it's going to be a very positive experience because he's achieved his goal and that will only make him even stronger and better for next season."

Herbert believes the turning point in Norris’s season came at Zandvoort: "What happened in Zandvoort was not fair on Lando, but that's racing. That's how racing is. The Papaya rules that were coming into effect every now and again didn't help the championship either. What happened in Monza was only a little bit more positive for Lando."

He said Norris used adversity to fuel a run of dominant performances: "He used it in a much more powerful way to enable himself to win those very dominant races in Mexico and Brazil, for example, and that was really the catalyst by which he put himself in a position where he was the guy that had the advantage."

Herbert said Norris handled the mounting pressure with clarity and consistency: "Did Lando crack? Did he have a bad start? No, he didn't. He got a good start again in Abu Dhabi. His last four starts have actually been very good. The worst one was in Las Vegas where he lost out to Max. But it wasn't a bad start, it just wasn't as good a start as Max has got. All that has shown his ability to work things out."

Herbert suggests the season’s true trigger point was Holland: "The trigger definitely because at that point in the season it was Oscar who was one who was dominating the scene. But it was Holland. I think that really did hurt. But it really did hurt in a positive way. It galvanised him. It suddenly switched him on."

Herbert said Norris will peak towards his 30s and has already challenged one of F1’s greatest drivers at their best. He said: "Lando is a late bloomer, and I think it would probably be getting towards his 30s where he will peak. The biggest thing you get through the experiences of winning a world championship is that it will just push him onto another level mentally."

Herbert highlighted the level required to compete with Verstappen. "We definitely haven't seen the very best of him. But we've always got to remember we're talking about Max being one of the best we have ever seen, and he’s given Max a pretty hard time this year. That just shows that he's moving in a direction and he's actually making Max think."

The Grand Prix and Le Mans winner said Norris now possesses the ingredients to become a multi-world champion: "The potential for Lando to be a multi-world champion is there, for sure. He's got more than enough talent to be able to achieve that. But of course, you always need the equipment underneath you to achieve that."

Herbert praised Verstappen’s approach to the finale.e: "I am so pleased that Max finished the race in the way that he did. He achieved the race win, he gave it his best shot, and it didn't quite work out for him. If it had turned into backing the whole pack up, there would have been some really debatable moves. It would have been messy and scrappy."

Herbert said Verstappen proved why he is regarded as the best driver on the grid. "I'm glad he did it in such a pure way. He was showing why he’s the best."

He added that Verstappen deserves enormous credit for the season: "Max couldn't have done any more. He said that is the best he’d driven. He deserves all the applause and credit that he gets because there's a WOW factor. Max single-handedly kept the season alive."

Herbert believes Verstappen will regroup quickly: "Max will be disappointed that he didn't win it but sort of happy that Lando did achieve it because of the friendship that they do have. But Max will be very much thinking, I'm going to make sure I get that world championship back."

The 2026 season will now begin with Norris as champion and Verstappen ready to strike back.