Norris has 'changed a lot' but insists 'I'm still myself'

Lando Norris has been in Formula 1 with McLaren for over five years since his debut in Melbourne in 2019 and has just completed his 120th race. A lot's changed in that time - not least Norris himself.

This has been a breakhthrough season for the 23-year-old with his maiden two Grand Prix victories in Miami and Zandvoort, and four pole positions since the end of June.

For the first time he's being seen as a potential championship contender with a chnce of catching his best friend Max Verstappen in the standings as Red BNull struggle to overcome performance problems.

Things just seem to get better and better at McLaren who are now just eight points behind their rivals in the championship standings. Inevitably that means Norris has changed since hie first days in the sport as a teenager.

“I think it's evident," Norris agreed in an interview with the Formula1.com website after his 23rd career pole position in Monza last week, adding: "I feel within myself."

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"I feel like I have changed a lot since I've come into F1," he contnued. “I don't know whether people want to say it's in good ways, or bad ways, or whatever!

"At the end of the day, the main thing is I'm still myself. I'm happy to disappoint people and give my own opinion, whether it's right or wrong sometimes."

Looking back to his first race aged 19, when he and Carlos Sainz took over from Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne during a dark time for McLaren, the growth and development of the Briton is evident.

“When I see pictures and videos of who I was and what I did, even 2019, 2020, ‘21, I do look at myself and see things and I'm like, ‘Oh, I was very different back then to how I am now’.

“I almost cared too much when I came into F1," he explained. "Not in a bad way, but just that I cared almost more about other people's opinions and thoughts rather than doing my own stuff and cracking on and being myself.

“Not that I ever wanted to be someone different or do something different," he insisted. ""But I just feel like over time and with pressure, with focus on doing the job I have to do, I just found better balances of life.

"I probably enjoy my time away from the track more now," he added. “Probably in a different way to what I did back then.

"[I have] a better balance of life, whether I'm here working and I'm focused on doing what I want to do, which is win and to do the best job I can for my team.

"And the balance of going home and being able to disconnect and just enjoy my personal life and days at home where I can relax and do something else.

"At the end of the day, my focus and my job that I'm here to do has remained the same. So whether I laugh more or laugh less, or make jokes more or less, that's just how I've changed over the years.

"I still love what I do, otherwise I wouldn't be here," he added. "And I still enjoy my time, but I think just in different ways.

"I get to share it more with my team, and I just learned how to treat Formula 1 and my job more as a focus and learn how to then switch off in a better way when I go back home.”

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