Lando Norris explains why he feels ‘less pressure’ in 2026 than in his rookie F1 season

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All eyes will be on Lando Norris in 2026 as he defends his world championship with McLaren.

The Brit beat Max Verstappen to his maiden title by just two points in 2025. Now, in 2026, ahead of the new technical regulations, the number one will be on his McLaren.

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Undoubtedly, that puts more expectations and pressure on the shoulders of the 25-year-old. Many will be looking to see if he can defend his crown and become McLaren’s first double world champion since Mika Hakkinen in 1998 and 1999.

Damon Hill thinks Norris can win multiple titles like Michael Schumacher, as he believes he will have the desire to win again. That is certainly what the McLaren star shares heading into 2026.

Lando Norris feels ‘less pressure’ in 2026 than his rookie season as he has already achieved his goal

Speaking to Motorsport at the Autosport Awards, the 2025 champion explained that he feels ‘less pressure’ this season compared to his rookie campaign.

Norris joined the F1 grid in 2019, fresh off finishing second in F2, and finished 11th in the standings. He had to cope with a lot of pressure back then, but he does not feel it is more in 2026, as his goal of becoming a world champion has already been achieved.

Asked if he feels more or less pressure compared to his rookie season, Norris replied: “Both. There’s less pressure on me because as much as I still want to win more and more and more, a little part of it is like: ‘I’ve done it and I achieved that goal’.

“But certainly, there’s more eyes, more expectation. I have something to fight for, to try and maintain my championship and maintain the number that I’m going to have this year.

“So, a little bit of both. Altogether, It doesn’t really change too much because I feel I deal with all those things well. Yeah, it can be seen both ways.”

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

Can McLaren maintain their advantage over the field in 2026?

Norris will want to defend his crown in F1 in 2026, but a lot of that will depend on whether McLaren have built a competitive car.

Rumours suggest that Mercedes will have the fastest power unit, which will benefit them and their customer teams. It puts McLaren in a strong position to win the championship.

However, McLaren doubt their ‘excellent’ data correlation will help Norris maintain his advantage over the field in 2026. They do not see themselves as the favourites for the title.

Nevertheless, many will be backing Norris to keep his championship, but he will be facing strong competition from Max Verstappen, a charging Mercedes and his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri.