P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lando Norris enters the year as the reigning F1 champion following a tense 2025 battle.
Lando Norris expressed his feelings of it being “bizarre” to start the new F1 season as a champion. Norris won his first championship last year with McLaren moving up in the hierarchy. His main competition was teammate Oscar Piastri until Max Verstappen challenged late in the season, finishing just two points behind Norris. This victory marked McLaren’s first driver’s championship win since 2008. Norris, at 26, admitted feeling unfamiliar with the champion title, acknowledging how far he still has to go to match Hamilton’s achievements. He hopes his peers in F1 will now view him with more respect after his successful season and finds it motivating to see younger drivers even hungrier for success.
