Lando Norris has made clear that McLaren will not retreat into safety mode for the final two races of the 2025 Formula 1 season, despite the painful double disqualification that wiped out a near-perfect haul in Las Vegas.
With the title fight balanced on a knife edge, the championship leader insists the team must keep taking risks – smart ones, but risks nonetheless – if it wants to fend off a resurgent Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
McLaren left Las Vegas empty-handed after both Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified for excessive plank wear on their MCL39, erasing what had been second and fourth on the road.
Though the incident sparked outside speculation that the team had been pushing too aggressively on ride height, Norris maintains the performance drop they experienced was a reason to be bolder, not more cautious.
“In some ways you can almost say we didn't take enough risk so it's not as simple as just looking at it and going 'Oh they did that and that's why they were quick'. In fact, we were slower because of the issues that we had, not quicker,” Norris said ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.
“So, no, I'm almost more excited to just get it better for this weekend because we'll have more performance. But every team... when you're in Formula 1, you're fighting for race wins and everything you always have to push things to the limit.
“That's not meaning that's exactly what we did in Las Vegas because it's a lot more complicated, but at the same time, we still want to win these last few races.”
With Verstappen and Piastri tied behind him, just 24 points back, the margin for error is razor-thin. But for Norris, the path to securing his maiden title doesn’t involve easing off the throttle.
Title Pressure at Its Peak – But McLaren Won't Back Off
With Qatar hosting the final Sprint weekend of the season before the Abu Dhabi finale, three scoring opportunities remain – and Norris knows Red Bull cannot be allowed any breathing room.
“We still need to push everything to the limit as you always do because Red Bull are just as quick, so if we don't put things in the right condition like in Brazil, they'll be quicker than us and they'll win,” he warned.
“But yeah, we're here because we want to win. We're going to fight 'til the end, and that's what I want to do as well."
McLaren’s hardline stance sets up a ferocious run-in to the finish: no sheltering, no conservatism, no change in philosophy, even after its Las Vegas debacle.
Norris’ message is simple – fortune favors the brave, and he intends to stay brave until the very last lap of the season.
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