Lando Norris has pledged to get tough and drive with his “elbows out” against Max Verstappen as the two prepare to resume their title rivalry in the new Formula 1 season.

Lando Norris won’t get any special treatment from McLaren as he bids to win his maiden F1 world title this season. The 25-year-old will head to the opening Grand Prix of 2025 in Australia next month as one of the favourites for the crown, having won four times in 2024 and finished second in the drivers’ standings to Max Verstappen.

It did at the end of the 2024 season: McLaren took the constructors’ title after a 26-year drought. But Norris concedes he needs to be better. “It’s been a year where, actually, I’ve been pretty proud of my performance,” he said. “Proud of performing under the pressure that we’ve been under, delivering when I have.