Lando Norris currently has the upper hand in his F1 title battle against two formidable opponents.

Lando Norris is now leading the Drivers’ Championship standings (Image: Getty)

Jacques Villeneuve believes that Lando Norris’ self-critical approach to assessing his performances is a ‘super strength’ and is allowing him to improve as the 2025 season goes on.

The 25-year-old wrestled back control of the Drivers’ Championship standings at the Mexican Grand Prix, finishing over 30 seconds clear of the field while team-mate Oscar Piastri was forced to settle for fifth. Now one point clear, Norris was 34 points behind his McLaren colleague five races ago.

Earlier this year, during his difficult start to the campaign, Norris never shied away from criticising his own performances and acknowledging his mistakes in front of the TV cameras. This approach was questioned by several pundits, including Sky F1’s Nico Rosberg, but the Bristol-born driver stuck by his approach.

According to 1997 world champion Villeneuve, that approach is now paying dividends. “We are too quick to judge on the psychic of a driver just because of what we see on the outside,” he explained on Sky Sports’ F1 Show.

“But that doesn’t mean that’s what’s going on internally. Lando was always very vocal about his mistakes, even when they weren’t [his fault], he was actually taking the blame. And everybody judged that as him being so weak and beaten and down.
Jacques Villeneuve has been impressed with Norris’ mental approach (Image: Getty)

“I always thought, no, actually, being able to admit, to go out like that, to always take the blame, that’s how you make progress. Only owning your own mistakes, and even the ones that aren’t yours, that’s how you actually step up, understand. What can I do different so I don’t get into that situation again?

“It’s not a weakness. It’s a super strength to be able to blurt it out like that. But in modern society and social media, you just get blasted, ‘Oh, look how weak he is, he’s talking down on himself.’ Well, no, that wasn’t weakness.”

Norris now has momentum on his side heading into the Brazilian Grand Prix this Sunday. The Brit has outscored his McLaren team-mate in five consecutive race weekends, although with Max Verstappen still in play 36 points behind him, he cannot rest on his laurels.

However, if Norris can produce performances akin to his dominant lights-to-flag victory in Mexico City over the coming four rounds, there won’t be much that Verstappen can do to deny the Brit his maiden World Championship crown.