Lando Norris has embraced a major lifestyle change in his bid to stay competitive in the 2025 Formula 1 title race—cutting out alcohol entirely, just as Lewis Hamilton once did to elevate his game.
After a rollercoaster weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where Norris crashed out in Q3 after dominating early sessions, the McLaren driver relinquished the championship lead to teammate Oscar Piastri. Norris recovered from a P10 start to finish fourth, narrowly missing out on the podium after being held up by Lewis Hamilton during a tense mid-race battle.
Speaking to Viaplay after the race, Norris revealed he won’t be joining the King’s Day festivities in the Netherlands this year—a stark contrast from 2024, where his celebration left him with a minor facial injury. Instead, he plans to head home and focus on training ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
“There’s more to life than drink,” Norris said. “I can’t afford to party—I want to give everything to this season.”
The 25-year-old Brit also shared that he hasn’t touched alcohol all year and is already noticing the benefits—echoing a similar transformation made by Hamilton during his Mercedes tenure.
Hamilton previously told Vogue in 2023 that quitting drinking helped him find an “extra one percent,” with clearer focus, better sleep, and more energy. “Since I’ve stopped drinking, I’ve just been feeling so much better,” he said. “I sleep better, I wake up at 5 a.m. feeling great.”
Norris now hopes his off-track discipline will translate to on-track success, especially as he battles for his first world title in what many believe is the fastest car on the grid. But the journey has already tested him—qualifying mistakes in consecutive races have cost him valuable points, and he’s admitted his frustration, calling himself an “idiot” after crashing in Jeddah.
Dutch racer and pundit Jeroen Bleekemolen recently commented that Norris looks “mentally exhausted” just five races into the season—a sign of the pressure that comes with being a title contender from the outset.
This season marks the first time Norris has had genuine championship-caliber machinery from the opening race. Last year, he was a long-shot chasing Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Now, expectations are sky-high—and so is the pressure.
Back in 2024, Norris also cut back on gaming during race weekends to improve his sleep. The sacrifices are adding up—but so are the demands of being a top-tier F1 driver.
With his eyes firmly on the championship, Norris is hoping that his new approach will deliver results—not just in points, but in performance under pressure.