British F1 star delivers championship UPDATE ahead of Verstappen battle

A British Formula 1 star has opened up about his preparations for the 2025 season, as he hopes to beat Max Verstappen to the drivers' championship title.

Lando Norris was embroiled in a fierce championship battle with Verstappen last season, in which the pair regularly fought on-track for race victories, and engaged in a war of words.

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Eventually, Verstappen got the better of the young Brit, winning the championship with two races to spare to extend his dominance over the rest of the field over the past few seasons.

It was still a memorable season for Norris, however, with the 25-year-old claiming his first F1 grands prix victories, and winning the constructors' championship with his McLaren team.

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McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has already spoken out over the 'poison cookies' that he expects his team to deal with now that they are champions, and has suggested that the 2025 battle may be more difficult than the past campaign.

On a personal note, both Norris and his team-mate Oscar Piastri will have an eye on challenging Verstappen and Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton for the drivers' championship, which may throw a spanner into the works for McLaren's team harmony.

Now, Norris has suggested that his preparations heading into the season-opening Australian Grand Prix have been better than they were in 2025, hinting at once again putting up a fierce challenge for Verstappen's crown.

"I'm back in the car and I feel good," Norris told McLaren's official website, discussing his 2025 tests with the team ahead of the upcoming campaign.

"Obviously, it's not our car for this year, so it's not as exciting as when I jump in the [2025] car, but it's always nice to get back in the car and have that feeling of being behind the wheel again.

"I like to not think about Formula 1 sometimes. Go home and see my friends, be alone and do other things with my life, rather than drive. It’s necessary and I’m sure everyone would say the same.

"I’ve done a lot of different things, in a lot of different countries, to make sure I’m better prepared than last year in all areas. The next step is training, going back to the factory to spend a lot of time in the simulator and getting back to work."

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