Russell’s Championship Drive Fueled by norris’s Title Win
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George Russell enters the new Formula One season as the bookmakers’ favorite, a position Lando Norris held last year, and Norris believes his own championship victory has ignited a new level of competition.
- Lando Norris won the Formula One title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, defeating max Verstappen by two points.
- Mercedes and George Russell are considered strong contenders for the championship this season following regulatory changes.
- Norris believes his success has motivated rivals like Russell and Alex Albon,who all entered formula One together in 2019.
- mclaren secured the constructors’ championship with six rounds to spare last season.
- Norris emphasizes his continued drive to improve and win, despite already achieving a significant milestone.
A New Era of Competition
Norris clinched the title in a nail-biting finale in Abu Dhabi, holding off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by a mere two points, despite often having the fastest car. McLaren’s dominance was such that they secured the constructors’ championship with an impressive six races remaining. Verstappen even conceded he “easily” could have won a fifth title had he been driving Norris’s McLaren.
Though, the landscape is shifting. Following significant regulation changes, Mercedes appears to have found its stride, and russell is now the frontrunner in the eyes of bookmakers – a role Norris occupied at the start of the previous season. “I spoke to George and Alex [Albon] the other day as we played padel together,” Norris revealed. “We all came into F1 simultaneously occurring, and it (Norris winning the title) has created more hunger for them, especially for George as he is the bookies’ favorite. He is all a bit giddy at the moment and that is a great thing to see.”
Respect and Self-Improvement
Norris acknowledges that winning the championship brings a certain level of respect within the paddock. “I hope there is that little bit extra level of respect that comes from winning the title because the people who have done it know what it takes. That is cool, an extra bonus and not something I have asked for,” he said.
Despite the accolades, Norris remains focused on self-improvement. “It is indeed quite clear I have a different mentality and approach to Max, good or bad,” he stated.”I am always trying to improve,and I know there are areas that I am not at the level I need to be.when you are fighting these guys, you need to be close to perfection. There are still plenty of things I want to work on and be better on.”
Unwavering Ambition
What drives a champion to continue striving for more after achieving the ultimate goal? Norris’s answer is simple: a relentless desire to win. “But I don’t feel any different coming into this season. I want to go out and win and that is my baseline feeling. But if I don’t achieve it again,I will always have something that I am very proud of and I know is a huge achievement.”
He continued, “It certainly hasn’t taken away any ambition or desire to want to do it again or to come into this season and to not care about it. If anything, I enjoyed last year a lot and of course I want to do it again. I have come into this season with the same ambition and motivation as last year which is to try and win it.”
