Lando Norris does not yet feel the ‘responsibility’ to defend his world title in the upcoming season. According to the McLaren driver, the MCL40 – McLaren’s challenger for the 2026 season – still needs to be significantly improved, but he does have confidence in his own abilities after winning his first championship. ‘I have won a title before, and that’s why I believe I can do it again,’ Norris states.
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Lando Norris can start a Formula 1 season as the reigning world champion for the first time. The Briton took the drivers’ title for the first time at the last Abu Dhabi GP, and the question now is whether he can also defend his title in 2026. The premier class is also at the start of an entirely new regulatory cycle, meaning that even after the test days, the exact pecking order between the teams remains unknown.
The McLaren driver therefore feels no ‘responsibility’ to defend his title. “To be honest, I don’t think there is a responsibility… I mean, there is always a responsibility in life,” Norris confirms to the media. “But I will do my best to defend the title. However, it is a new season with plenty of new challenges. So it’s not as simple as just continuing where we left off last year and saying it’s the same again. At the moment, as far as we can see, we need to improve the car quite a bit if we want to be more competitive and look forward to the first race with confidence.”
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Confidence in second title
Despite his doubts about the competitiveness of the MCL40, Norris does have more confidence in his own abilities after winning his first world title. “I have every confidence. I feel better than ever before,” says the reigning world champion. “After last year and winning the championship last year, I have certainly gained more self-confidence. It’s reassuring to know that I’ve done it once and therefore I believe I can do it again. That’s a good thing. But it’s a long season and I will make sure I do my best. And together as a team, we will make sure we give ourselves the best chance to do it again.”
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View the 2026 F1 calendar here
