Lando Norris’s victory on the season-opening Australian Grand Prix not solely kicked off his F1 title bid in excellent vogue, nevertheless it additionally set some fascinating milestones.
Norris’s masterful drive to beat Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen in treacherous circumstances in Melbourne marked his fifth profession win since making his F1 debut again in 2019.
In successful the F1 2025 curtain-raiser, Norris has turn out to be the primary McLaren driver to steer the world championship since Lewis Hamilton after the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old Briton has additionally ended Verstappen’s 1,029 day, or 63-race, streak constantly main the drivers’ standings – which stretched again to the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix.
It is usually the primary time in his F1 profession that Norris has received consecutive races, following on from his victory on the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
By doing so, he has additionally grew to become the primary driver apart from Verstappen to win consecutive F1 races since Hamilton in 2021 (Brazil, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia).
Norris admits he and McLaren are favourites
Having beforehand downplayed McLaren’s pre-season championship favourites tag, Norris has now conceded that they’re the group to beat following his convincing victory in Australia.
“Max was three-tenths off yesterday,” Norris mentioned after Sunday’s race. “Final 12 months, we have been a lot additional off [but] ended up with the very best automotive by the tip of the season.
“We have been over half a second off in the beginning of final 12 months behind Pink Bull and ended up with the quickest automotive.
“I do know George made some feedback earlier this weekend that we will simply flip our focus to 2026. If that’s their mentality, fantastic, however that’s not the mentality to have.
“We all know we nonetheless have lots of work to do on this 12 months’s automotive. In case you chill out on this place, you fail. In Method 1, should you begin considering issues are good and groovy, that’s once you get caught.”
Norris added: “I do assume we’re favourites as a result of the group has finished a tremendous job and the automotive is flying. However we could have races the place we wrestle.
“If we began the season in Bahrain, I don’t assume we might have received, and [I wouldn’t be asked] this query. Let’s enable a number of extra races to happen earlier than making any apparent statements.”
