Rand Norris says he feels more complete driver than he’s prepared for the title fight against Oscar Piastri than this year in 2024.
Norris won his first victory in Formula 1 last year, emerging as a real threat to Max Verstappen while he was about to close a key point margin later in the season. This time Norris says Little has changed when it comes to his potential, but he can show it more regularly.
“There’s nothing that makes my life different. At this moment, I’m preparing you for this fight,” Norris told the racer. “From the race side, I learned a lot, and I generally have more experience.
“What comes with experience is dealing with more situations, going more, understanding your team better, and they understand you better.
“You’re more prepared, but the second part is actually a better driver. Can you actually drive your car faster? Can you save on tires in a better way? Usually it’s difficult. But there’s a lot of experience, especially in the third year of Oscar’s Formula 1.
“I think I’m going to say that in every interview I feel like I’m the most complete driver I’ve ever had, although I’m probably not going to be.
“But it doesn’t necessarily make it easier. You’re still racing the best driver in the world who can drive cars as fast as you, so it can’t make things easier, but you’re just more prepared.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown believes Norris is showing that possibility more frequently, without gaining the credibility he deserves, or with Piastri, of his own improvement.
“I think Rand is in a great place,” Brown said. “According to the world, there was a time when Rand couldn’t win from Paul, and he won four of the last five races from Paul (he started). So I don’t think this kind of story about Rand is accurate today.
“He’s open and he’s wearing his feelings as a word. I think everyone is different, so to speak, but I think he’s in a great place. I’ve never seen him in a better place.
“I think Rand might have been more critical of himself a year ago (in Budapest after qualifying). He does a great job, so no, I think it’s like he can’t win from pole statistics.
“I think I should write about that. I don’t have a lot of races out of Paul because I have another statistic from being a big fan (Charles Leclair). I don’t think that’s what he is.
“So it’s not meant to completely lightly par him. I think he’s a huge talent. But my point is like a good story, and when that story goes away, when there’s no one there, it’s not like a retraction.
