Lando Norris’ maturation from his “it’s bwoken” era to his current era is a marvel. The 19-year-old boy who had debuted in Formula 1 with McLaren has now grown into a serious racer with a razor-sharp eye on the World Championship title. Lando is no longer a kid who cried over the team radio, saying, “I can’t, it’s bwoken” when he had a final-lap engine failure that ended his Belgian GP 2019 run. He is the second-place holder in the World Championship table with only a 78-point gap to reigning F1 title-holder Max Verstappen. And going into the Dutch GP, Lando is actually in an advantageous position over Max.

The 2024 season has seen McLaren rise to the occasion in the most magnificent way after a disappointing start to their campaign. The papaya army fitted some upgrades to the MCL36s of Norris and Piastri that changed their results overnight. But those performances were not just a one-hit wonder, as the McLarens seemed to be in flying form even in the second half of the current F1  season. As the two papaya racers went for the Qualifying session in Zandvoort, they came out with P1 and P3 spots in the opening grid for Sunday’s main race.

With the Championship fight against Max Verstappen at stake, the next 11 Grands Prix will be crucial for Norris to bridge his gap with the Dutchman. But still, the 24-year-old is not as “desperate” to win the F1 title as one of his interviewers thought he would be. So, he said, “You said the same words [how desperate Lando Norris is] the other time, I’m not desperate. I want to win but I’m not desperate [..] Desperation doesn’t succeed in anything.” With this mature reply, Norris clearly showed he has the mentality of a winner and thus, a Championship victory seems closer to him than ever before.

While Lando Norris might not be “desperate” to win the Championship, his title rival Max Verstappen sees him as a big opponent. So, what did the Dutchman say about Lando?

Max Verstappen speaks on “doubting” Lando Norris’ winning potential

Lando Norris has been in Formula 1 since the 2019 season, and throughout this time, he has never been as competitive as he seems to be in the current Championship. Thanks to McLaren’s rise in performance, Norris scored some consistent podium finishes and a race win to claim the spot right next to Max Verstappen as an F1 Championship contender.  But does Max believe he can be rivaled by Lando? In response to this, the Red Bull racer said, “Lando is very, very fast. That is why he is in Formula One and performing at the level he’s at.”

Verstappen also said, “It will only get better with experience. I have been fighting for world championships for longer than him but when the team is working well and you are driving well, it just comes to you. I have never doubted him.” Thus, the three-time World Champion has no doubt that Lando Norris can be a serious threat to his chase for a fourth title. However, he also feels that his experience is more than the Belgian-British racer’s, and that is why he will win the Championship once again.

So, Lando Norris has clarified his stance about “being desperate” to win the World Championship. Do you think the McLaren racer was being honest about his statement?