As the new Formula 1 season prepares to get off the mark in Melbourne, Australia, many intrigued eyes, including my own, will be on 2025 champion Lando Norris, after his quite spectacular season which saw the British driver claw back a deficit of 34 points from McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
It is the first time there has been a British Formula 1 champion since joint-record holder for number of World Championship titles, Lewis Hamilton and there is encouragement and belief that the baton has been passed on, though, I definitely think the veteran will no doubt be wanting to prove he isn’t there to just make up the numbers.
Round 1 of the 2026 season awaits…
Who’s excited?! 🤩#F1 pic.twitter.com/iBIPtgeGnk
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 20, 2026
Last season, consistency proved key for Norris, who was on the podium on 18 occasions out of 24 and the same again will be vital this time around, with new, reportedly complex engines understood to be unreliable.
Why I’m Convinced By Lando
It appears that early testing data from Barcelona suggests that Mercedes who supply McLaren’s engines could have found a notable advantage in energy deployment, which I think could prove that Norris has the most refined power unit on the grid.
Also, because Norris is statistically one of the best on the grid at trail braking *carrying brake pressure into the apex), I think this will considerably work into his favour given this season’s cars requiring a “lift and coast” technique (releasing the throttle early), to maintain battery efficiency.
This season, the cars are 30 kilograms lighter and 10 centimetres narrower and, as a result, this should suit Norris due to his high chassis feel and precision; having a smaller, more responsive car is likely to play directly to his strengths.
Proven Pressure Handler
Last season was arguably one of the most intense seasons for a long time as Norris held his nerve to not only chase down a deficit from his own teammate, but also hold off late challenges.
He became a highly tactical driver towards the end of the season, demonstrating a great level of maturity and judgement to win his first title and he will require a similar mettle as he looks to retain this.
In the end, it may well come down to a team duel, with Piastri also likely to be upset at the way he relinquished his grip on what looked to be a likely Driver’s Championship. I think we could be in for a fascinating battle in what will be another long campaign.
McLaren CEO, Zak Brown has also revealed that there will be no more team orders, which means that each driver will essentially have free reign when it comes to making decisions about how to handle their cars on the track, with a seemingly “free to race” philosophy.
Hamilton will be keen to prove that he still has more in the tank as well; there appears to be no mention of retirement on the horizon and he will be wanting to push his Ferrari to its limits to get the absolutely very best out of it. An elusive eighth Driver’s Championship title could ultimately remain just that with Norris seemingly the ‘heir apparent’.