Why Lando Norris Fears Las Vegas GP Despite McLaren Optimism
The 2025 Formula 1 season is hurtling towards a nail-biting conclusion, and for the first time in over a decade, a McLaren driver has a clear shot at the World Drivers’ Championship. As the F1 circus heads to the neon-lit streets of Nevada, Lando Norris has a mathematical chance to seal the ultimate prize at the LasVegas Grand Prix.
However, where there should be unbridled excitement, there is notable apprehension. In a stark contrast to the « cautiously optimistic » tone of Team Principal Andrea Stella, Norris himself has voiced significant doubts about McLaren’s prospects, fearing the unique circuit could be the team’s Achilles’ heel.
A Title Within Grasp
This entire season has been a building crescendo for McLaren. After years of fighting in the midfield, the Woking team has delivered a 2025 challenger capable of consistently battling for wins. Lando Norris, putting in the season of his life, has arrived in Las Vegas with the championship within his grasp.
The permutations are complex, but a strong result in Vegas could, depending on his rivals’ finishing positions, be enough to crown him champion before the finale. The team is on a high, but Norris, known for his candid self-assessment, is focused on a specific technical threat.
Norris’s Specific Fears: Low Speeds and Long Straights
Norris’s pessimism isn’t about the pressure; it’s a technical calculation. The Las Vegas Strip Circuit is a track of extremes. It is dominated by exceptionally long straights—including the 1.9km blast down the main Strip—linked by a series of slow, 90-degree corners and tight chicanes.
This combination is precisely what the 2025 McLaren has struggled with.
« I don’t share the same optimism as some people, » Norris stated in the pre-weekend media pen. « We know where our car is strong, and it’s not in low-speed traction or on massive straights. Our strength is in medium and high-speed corners, and this track has almost none of those. »
Throughout 2025, the McLaren has excelled at circuits like Suzuka and Silverstone, where its aerodynamic efficiency and stability in high-speed turns give it an edge. Conversely, at tracks demanding strong « stop-and-go » performance and high top-end speed, the team has often been vulnerable to rivals like Ferrari and Red Bull. Norris fears Vegas will expose this weakness more than any other track on the calendar.
Stella’s Optimism: Trust in the Process
On the other side of the garage, Team Principal Andrea Stella has presented a more confident front. While acknowledging Norris’s concerns as valid, Stella emphasized the significant progress the team has made in precisely these « weak » areas.
« We are aware of the challenges of this layout, » Stella said. « But the car we have today is not the same car we had at the start of the season. Our development has targeted low-speed performance, and our operational strength as a team is high. We are not coming here expecting to be weak; we are coming here to fight. »
Stella’s optimism is rooted in the team’s development curve and their ability to execute flawless race weekends. He believes McLaren has enough of an all-around package to mitigate the damage on the straights and compete for the podium.
Managing Expectations vs. Realist Fear
With the stakes higher than they have ever been in his career, Norris’s comments could be interpreted as a classic case of managing expectations. By publicly downplaying his chances, he reduces the external pressure.
However, given his history, his concerns are more likely a genuine, data-driven assessment. The unique cold temperatures of the late-night Vegas race will also play a critical role in tire warm-up—another variable that makes performance unpredictable.
As the team prepares to fight for its first driver’s title since 2008, it faces a clear conflict: the driver’s realist fears versus the team principal’s faith in their progress. On Sunday, under the lights of the Las Vegas Strip, the F1 world will find out whose assessment was correct.
Sources
- Sky Sports F1: Pre-race weekend driver press conference coverage.
- Motorsport.com: Analysis of F1 team performance and car characteristics.
- The Race: Technical analysis of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit layout.
- Autosport: Interviews with McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.