Lando, that's more like it! Norris gives out F1 champion vibes

Such is the claim. When Lando Norris made his debut in 2019, everyone recognised his speed, as well as his child-like charisma. With all of his teammates until Oscar Piastri being more experienced and seasoned than him, Norris often came across as the little brother.

With F1 going through an exponential growth phase since Norris' arrival, which happened to coincide with the premiere of Netflix's hit show "Drive to Survive," the series' fandom took on Norris as a sort of sweet and snuggly figure, and thus he became the adoration of fans the world over. The setback there is that sweet and snuggly don't win titles.

In recent seasons, however, Norris has revealed in interviews a much harsher, tougher, 'tell it like it is,' - even at his own risk - persona at times. A crucial detail here, this attitude was only visible in interviews.

On track, Norris still seemed to be unable to face the pressures of being a top driver racing for the top prizes each weekend.

Nevertheless since Singapore the Briton seems to have taken a step forward in this regard. During his overtake on teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri, the Bristol-born driver didn't over do it, nor did he undercook it either.

He went into the perilous territory Turn 1 on lap 1 at Singapore is known to be with the bit between his teeth and came out on top.

When asked on the radio if he would be willing to allow Piastri to come into the box first, Norris nearly scoffed at the thought. An obvious and resolute "no" was the answer.

After the race, when asked on his concerns regarding the potential consequences Max Verstappen's distant yet undeniable presence in the championship fight may trigger at McLaren, the Briton didn't think twice about thrashing the question with a sequence of sarcastic comments.

Looking at all the world champions you can tell that by the time they'd been crowned, they had already become champions within themselves much earlier. In a driver's career timeline it's easy to see where the shift happens.

For Verstappen, for instance, one might argue his 2019 season was the awakening of the Verstappen we now know. His wins in Austria with a late charge, Germany in the pouring rain, and Brazil with a strategic wheel to wheel masterful fight vs prime Lewis Hamilton put him on a different level.

Sure, this wasn't a win. But it was another battle won in the championship war he's waging against Piastri. And should the McLaren driver continue to take the gloves off and drive with a champion's aggression and authority, then the 2025 campaign will have been the turning point in Norris' career.

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