Norris: I just want to outpace the field and don’t really care who

McLaren driver Norris has scored four podiums from four races and leads the standings by three points over team-mate Oscar Piastri. Yet he remains dissatisfied with his form and connection to the car, admitting he still hasn’t found his rhythm.

Speaking in Jeddah on Thursday, Norris revealed he is taking a fresh approach in Saudi Arabia: “It is a weekend where I want to perform, I want to do well. “But it is early enough in the season where, if I can work on some things and improve in some areas, that will pay off in the longer run.

“We have come into the weekend with a different approach, with a different mindset, different things to try. I needed a couple of days off, a reset. Probably would have liked a few more days but I made the most of my three days relaxing, getting away from it a little bit.”

Norris recovered from a disappointing qualifying session in Bahrain, where he described himself as “clueless” after placing sixth, to finish third in the race following a late overtake on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Despite trailing Piastri on race wins—after the Australian took his second victory in Sakhir—Norris remains focused on the bigger picture.

Norris continued: “I just want to outpace the field, I don’t really care who. I think of the negative things more than the positive things. I have to get reminded of them rather than being able to remind myself. I have tried to force myself to think of what a success the season has been.

"I know it could have been better, but still leading the championship after not being happy, not feeling comfortable, is still a start to the year I would have dreamed of before the season started," revealed Norris.

McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who claimed wins in China and Bahrain, has taken a more composed route to form. The 23-year-old said emotional control is key to his performances: “For me, trying to stay calm is a very important thing and I think helps me get the best out of myself.

“I think it comes somewhat naturally being calm and trying to stay relaxed but there is a lot of conscious effort on that as well. There are positive emotions that are there as well. If you had a camera on my face after China, I was pretty damn excited,” said Piastri.

With both Norris and Piastri heading into the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as early 2025 F1 title contenders, the focus now shifts to who can maintain momentum and composure across a long season. McLaren are comfortably top of the 2025 F1 Constructors' standings after four rounds.