McLaren have now made one behind-the-scenes change to stop putting so much ‘pressure’ on Lando Norris

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Lando Norris is closing in on Oscar Piastri in the 2025 title race, as the pair fight over McLaren’s 13th Drivers’ title in Formula 1.

McLaren have not won the Drivers’ Championship since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, and the 2025 season is looking increasingly like it will be either Piastri or Norris as Max Verstappen has now slipped back to third.

F1 returns from the summer break at the end of August for the Dutch Grand Prix, with Piastri heading into the race nine points ahead of Norris and 97 points ahead of home favourite Verstappen, who has won three of the last four races in Zandvoort.

Verstappen doubts he will win another Grand Prix in 2025, owing to the problems facing Red Bull with their car. McLaren look like they will seal a one-two at each race given their pace advantage, and based on recent results, Norris could be the favourite to out-race Piastri.

Discussing the change in approach Norris has made on the Inside the Piranha Club podcast, journalist Ben Hunt has revealed what McLaren have done to alleviate some of the pressure on the Briton.

McLaren have changed Lando Norris’ pre-race procedures to reduce pressure

F1 drivers are under pressure to perform every weekend, so it makes sense that the team would do everything they can to alleviate some of what they experience to help them perform on track.

McLaren have already made an adjustment to Norris’ car, which has helped him close the gap to Piastri, and now the team have also made changes behind the scenes to help with his pre-race preparation.

“So he had refocused on some of his pre-race procedures. If you recall, in Austria, he also missed FP1, I believe, so he was starting on the back foot,” said Hunt.

“However, what he did was rather than focus on the negative of not being in the car for FP1, he used that time to settle in and then make sure he was hitting the ground running from FP2.

“There was a little bit of a change in his structure over the weekend, but also psychologically, there was a bit of a shift in how his team was working with him, not to put too much pressure on him, and that seems to be working. It’s a change of mental approach is what I was told.”

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Who will win the Dutch Grand Prix out of Norris and Piastri?

Norris heads into the race at Zandvoort defending his race win from last year, when he dethroned Verstappen for the first time in three consecutive races.

It will likely be one of the last races held at the track for a while, as it drops off the calendar in 2026, although Norris still has the ability to achieve one feat.

Norris could become the first British driver to score back-to-back Dutch GP victories since James Hunt in 1975 and 1976, with the Briton going on to win the title in 1976.

Norris could regain the lead of the 2025 Drivers’ Championship with a victory in Zandvoort, which would put him ahead of Piastri for the first time since the Saudi Arabian GP back in April.