"You don't need to be a d**khead": Lando Norris opens up on not wanting to emulate Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and co.'s approach in racing

In an intriguing insight into how he views racing, Lando Norris has made it clear that he wants to set a new way and not emulate the 'no-quarters-given' approach that made drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen successful. The British driver has been in the spotlight in the last couple of years because of the way he has approached racing.

The 2024 F1 season was the first time he was racing for a title, and he was battling Max Verstappen for the ultimate prize. In the end, the ultimate prize went the Red Bull driver's way, but one thing that stood out during the battle was how Lando Norris went racing compared to his rival.

Unlike a Max Verstappen, or for that matter a Lewis Hamilton in the past, who had the attitude of not giving a quarter to their rivals in the past and sometimes even pushing the boundaries, Lando Norris has shown a slightly different approach, where he keeps things cleaner. The driver doesn't operate in the grey zone, and hence, unlike some of the more ruthless champions in the past, he does stand out with his approach.

Talking to David Coulthard on a Viaplay feature, Lando Norris opened up on how he wants to do things, and he remembered doing things his way, where you don't have to be a d**khead. He said,

“I know what I have, it can be weaker and it can be taken advantage of – but only if I really give in to you or media or anyone questioning a lot and saying it is a weakness because Lewis wasn't like that, Max, a four-time world champion, is not like that; these guys weren't like that, Senna, Prost, whoever you want to say."

He added,

“But I guess what I'll be most proud of is if I can do it, and just do it my way. I can set – not a new standard, but a new way of, ‘you don't need to be a dickhead, you don't need to have that kind of attitude’. I want to do it my way.”

Lando Norris admits not having Max Verstappen's 'F**k you' attitude to racing

Delving deeper into how he goes about racing, Lando Norris was quick to point out that it is safe to say that no one knows what is the right approach. He could be wrong as well, and he realises that he doesn't have Max Verstappen's 'f**k you' attitude while racing, which does make him quite different from the Dutch driver. He said,

"Everyone is different, and it's not like my way is definitely right. I admire characteristics and mentalities of other drivers such as Max, where it really is that kind of ‘f*** you’ attitude. Sometimes I'm like, ‘I wish I was more like that, I really do’. But it's just the difference of people, and Max probably contrasts with me the most in some ways."

For the 2025 F1 season, Lando Norris is staring at a 34-point deficit to Oscar Piastri in the championship. The DNF in Zandvoort ended up costing him a lot, but it also opens up the championship, where he would now have to battle hard to win the title.