Last Updated on December 18 2025, 12:34 pm

Fresh from securing his first Formula 1 World Championship, Lando Norris is preparing to step away from the relentless intensity of the sport. After a season that stretched drivers and teams to their limits, the newly crowned champion has outlined a winter break going into next year, focused on reflection, recovery and, perhaps most surprisingly, forgetting parts of what he has just achieved.

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From title fight to time off

With the chequered flag finally waved on the season, Norris is transitioning from championship mode to holiday mode. Speaking to BBC Sport, the McLaren driver offered a candid insight into how he plans to approach the weeks ahead.

“Actually, the next few weeks are pretty simple,” Norris explained. “We’ll review everything. There are still a lot of things we know we would have liked to have done better.”

Despite ending the year as world champion, Norris was far from complacent. Instead, he struck a notably self-critical tone, underlining that success had not dulled his desire to improve.

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A champion’s self-criticism

Norris admitted that, even in a title-winning campaign, there were moments he would approach differently if given the chance. “I know that here and there, I would have liked to have made a slightly different decision,” he said.

Those moments, he explained, will not be ignored or glossed over during the winter. Instead, they will be gathered, reviewed, and dissected alongside the team. “We’re essentially throwing all these things into a pile, and making quick assumptions and predictions from them,” Norris continued, describing a process designed to turn mistakes into lessons.

For McLaren, the off-season analysis is a crucial part of maintaining momentum. For Norris, it is also a personal exercise in understanding what it truly takes to perform at the very top of the sport.

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A date circled in the calendar

Amid the reviews and debriefs, one event stands out as a highlight for the 24-year-old. Norris revealed that the FIA Awards had been firmly marked in his calendar long before the final race.

“The FIA Awards are coming up. I’m really looking forward to that, because I think it’ll be the first time I’ve been allowed to hold the trophy,” he said. “That’s something I’m very excited about.”

Alongside the formal celebrations, Norris is also eagerly anticipating a more relaxed milestone: McLaren’s Christmas party. After a season spent under intense pressure, the chance to celebrate with the engineers, mechanics, and staff who contributed to the title carries particular significance.

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Switching off after Abu Dhabi

Norris clinched his first world championship with a third-place finish in Abu Dhabi, finishing ahead of Max Verstappen and his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri. It was a measured drive that reflected the maturity he displayed throughout the season.

Once the FIA Awards and the team festivities are complete, Norris plans to properly disconnect from Formula 1. “Then I’m going away with all my friends,” he said. “We’re going skiing. I’m picking up my injuries early,” he added with a smile.

The comment was light-hearted, but the intention behind it was clear. After months of physical and mental strain, Norris is prioritising rest and recovery before the next challenge begins.

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Family, friends, and normality

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Norris’s winter plans is his desire to step away from the identity of a Formula 1 driver altogether, even if only temporarily.

“I’m simply enjoying spending time with the people you’ve probably seen a lot on TV in recent days – my parents, my brother and my sisters,” he said. “And, honestly, I’m trying to forget this season. To forget that I’m driving in Formula 1.”

For Norris, this is not about diminishing what he has achieved. Rather, it is about reconnecting with a sense of normality that is often lost during a championship campaign.

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Forgetting, without losing perspective

Norris was careful to clarify that his wish to forget the season does not mean erasing its achievements. “I don’t want to forget what we achieved this season,” he said. “But just try to experience a few normal days this year.”

The world champion acknowledged that the past year had taught him valuable lessons, both professionally and personally. “I’m taking a lot away from this year. Many things that I know I could and should have done better,” he reflected.

Yet, in the final assessment, Norris is at peace with his performance. “In the end, I did what I had to do,” he concluded — a simple statement from a driver who has reached the pinnacle of Formula 1, and who now, briefly, wants to leave it behind.

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NEXT ARTICLE: Results from Indycar star’s first 2 day test in F2

Californian born Colton Herta is attempting what no one before him has done. Despite being a successful Indycar driver, his goal is to make the grade for Formula One.

All this was sparked by Red Bull’s interest in signing the American driver for their Alpha Tauri team for the 2023 season. Herta was a rising star in Indycar but despite seven wins by the age of 22, he was short of the points required to fulfil the FIA criteria for a super license.

Not governed by the FIA, the Indycar series despite being light years ahead of F2 in terms of speed is not valued as highly in the FIA’s accreditation list. Herta stood on 32 points and required 40 to make the F1 grade.

 

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Red Bull believed they would get special dispensation for their target driver, yet it was not forthcoming and Herta returned to Indycar in 2023. The 40 points required for an F1 super license is accumulated across the last three seasons where an Indycar driver    is placed in the championship. 40-30-20-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 are awarded to the North American racing series whilst F2 gets 40-40-40-30-20-10-8-6-4-3.

Colton Herta made the monumental decision to quit Indycar for 2026 and to compete in the FIA’s junior series F2. There he is hoping to score enough points to finally qualify for his F1 super license and has been appointed reserve driver at the new Cadillac F1 team.

Last week TJ13 reported that the FIA has finally improved the points awarded for Indycar drivers, which now stands at 40-30-25-20-15-10-8-6-3-1. With a P3 and a P7 in the last two Indycar championships, Herta will – under the new points system – be required to finish in just eighth place to qualify for F1 in 2027.

Although despite coming from a superior racing series, Herta is under no illusions how difficult the task will be. “The main thing is whenever I am in the race car, I want to be competitive,” he told F2’s official website on the announcement of his plans to race with Hi-Tech next season. “That has to be the goal, to be competitive, and try to achieve that as quickly as possible…READ MORE ON THIS STORY