Life was different for Lando Norris a year ago. Heading into the 2024 Miami GP weekend, he was just another talented driver waiting for the right car to make a claim for the crown, and then bam. McLaren, all of a sudden, looked like the fastest car on the grid and Norris won his first-ever Grand Prix in Florida, soon after which, he became one of the title favorites. And that’s a pressure that the Briton has failed to cope with.
Norris squandered the 2024 title chances by making umpteenth mistakes, but heading into 2025, he seemed confident about making amends. Sadly, that hasn’t been the case. As he continues to crumble under pressure, the errors have continued to flow, and he finds himself 10 points behind teammate Oscar Piastri (P1) in the championship standings.
Heading into this weekend’s race in Miami, Norris is in a different place compared to last season. He has to win. If he doesn’t, the promise he carried with himself onto F1, could very well start showing signs of crumbling.
That’s what ESPN experts Nicole Briscoe, Nate Saunders, and Lawrence Edmondson discussed in a recent segment along with their guest Liz Loza.
“This particular weekend I feel, given what’s gone on with Lando the last couple of weeks, this particular weekend has to be the get right weekend,” Briscoe began, before revealing the potential consequences of Norris having an off-week in Miami.
Considering he won at this circuit just a year ago, underperforming could massively dent his already shaky confidence. On that note, Briscoe stated, “I don’t want to write him off, but I feel like this is going to be the undoing.”
Loza also spoke about the weight of expectation Norris has carried in recent months. The constant talk about last year’s Miami GP win and whether he can repeat it is piling on the pressure. “Doesn’t it add more tension to him, and add more opportunity for him to overthink?” she asked.
That Lando win last time out in Miami #F1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/5lg4TSbPgh
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 30, 2025
It could potentially lead Norris to make more mistakes—and with Piastri driving flawlessly, any slip-up could be costly for his title bid. Speaking about Piastri in particular, Saunders emphasized why it’s crucial for Norris not to lose ground at the Miami GP, especially with several challenging races coming up on the calendar—the upcoming triple header after the week off following Miami.
“If you have Piastri win here [at Miami], you go into the triple header, and in three races, you could lose sight of the championship,” Saunders said. He acknowledged it’s still early in the season and one bad weekend from the Aussie could put Norris back in the mix. But he believes the margin for error is quickly vanishing.
“It does feel like we’re at a pretty pivotal point because of how good Piastri’s been… He has to come here and show that he can still beat Piastri.”
If Piastri triumphs in Miami and follows it up with wins in Imola, Monaco, and Spain, he’d have seven victories from the first eight races—making him the clear favorite for the title.
According to Saunders, that’s something Norris will definitely have on his mind heading into the Miami GP.
