'Nothing to hide behind' - Norris admits no more excuses for F1 title bid

Lando Norris admits there are now "no excuses" and "nothing to hide behind" for McLaren's drivers as they set their sights on mounting a challenge for F1's title in the 2025 season.

McLaren go into a new campaign as reigning constructors' champions for the first time in 26 years and, in addition to retaining that prestigious crown this year, are now looking to bring to an end their drivers' title drought, which stretches back to 2008 with Lewis Hamilton.

After finishing second in last year's championship to Max Verstappen during a season in which he won the first four races of his career, Norris has been installed as the pre-season bookmakers' favourite ahead of the start of testing in Bahrain next week and the season-opening race in Australia on March 16.

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When McLaren's drivers were asked by Sky Sports F1's David Croft at the sport's season launch event in London whether they would be competing for the championship, Norris replied: "I hope so.

"After last year I think we kind of have no excuses. In the past we've had our fair share, but honest and true excuses.

"I think this year we have nothing to hide behind. We proved last year we have everything we need and everything it takes to fight at the top and be the best.

"If we're not at the beginning of the season then we're just not good enough and we've not done a good enough job, but that's certainly not how we're thinking of things, that's not how our mentality's been.

"As we've ended the season, our next season has already started. For all the guys and girls back in the factory, it's giving us a car which can compete.

"A lot of what Formula 1 is, is having a car that can compete. I think we both as drivers proved a lot last year in ourselves and in each other of what we're capable of doing, and when we do have a car that's capable of fighting for wins and championships, we're able to maximise it."

With McLaren's impressive return to title-winning ways in 2024 having proved the resurgent team's capabilities back at the front of the field, Norris says they are "quietly confident" they will start the new campaign in stronger shape this time.

"I think we'll probably both say we're ready and we're excited for that challenge, but we also have a whole team behind us who are also excited," he added.

"They know they're capable of making a quick car so we're excited for this challenge this season.

"Maybe in the past we've got ahead of ourselves at times before pre-season so we're definitely not doing that, but we're quietly confident that we can start this season off in the best way and much better than we've done over the last six-seven years."

Piastri: Naive not to prepare for a title fight this year

Oscar Piastri is entering only his third season at motorsport's top level but proved via his own breakthrough victories last year in Hungary and Azerbaijan that he can also be a front-running contender, given the car.

The Australian, 23, said while McLaren's place in 2025's early pecking order will not become clear for several weeks yet, they are adopting the mindset of being championship challengers from the season start.

"I think Lando summed it up very well," said Piastri in answer to the same question as his team-mate.

"I'm sure the preparation for both of us has been preparing for a world championship fight and I think it would be naive of us to go into the season preparing for anything less.

"I think that's always the way you want to prepare things but we're never going to know what our competition is like until Melbourne.

"That obviously dictates a lot of your performance for the season. I think, like Lando said, we're going with the confidence of the results and the Constructors' Championship we achieved last season, so I think that's definitely our aim.

"I think we've shown in the last two years, but especially the last 18 months, that we've been able to turn our car around and make it the strongest on the grid.

"We've got a lot of confidence in ourselves that we can keep that momentum going. Whether we are fighting for a championship or not depends a little bit on what everyone else brings to the table as well, but certainly the preparation from everyone, including us as drivers, is going for world championships again."

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