Lando Norris was delighted after winning the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, with the Briton admitting he triumphed in 'stressful' conditions Down Under.
The 25-year-old finished ahead of Max Verstappen and George Russell to secure glory and lay down a marker as he seeks the first F1 title of his career.
Norris had gone into the day on pole after impressing in qualifying and, though the rain wrecked havoc, was able to get the victory he wanted.
Speaking to Sky in the aftermath, the Briton savoured the feeling and admitted that it had been a 'stressful' day at the offfice.
Lando Norris was delighted after winning the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, with the Briton admitting he triumphed in 'stressful' conditions Down Under
SKY
"Tough race! Especially with Max behind me," he said.
"I was pushing, especially the last two laps. A little bit stressful, I won't lie. But an amazing way to start the year.
"A tough one because we went off, went through the gravel, got damage, just tricky conditions but these ones are enjoyable, fun and unpredictable but this time we got it right and ended up on top.
"We got it wrong a lot last year, so we learned from our mistakes. We lost out at Silverstone and Canada through a race like this.
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"It's only the first round of 24, so dealing with the pressure, dealing with Max, dealing with Oscar, I was pushing the whole way through.
"A tough one, so to not make overly too many mistakes or a mistake that cost me anything, I can take a bit of credit for that.
"A tough but a challenging race. But for McLaren I need to give them a big thanks because they have given me an amazing car."
On whether the victory is good for his confidence, he continued: "It is. My weekend has been amazing from the get-go.
LANDO NORRIS WINS THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX! 🏆#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/wTMV1El0lK
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 16, 2025
"It's not easy to put a weekend together like this, especially when I have a lot of pressure from Max and Oscar [Piastri] because they are hungry and competitive and want it as badly.
"Stressful! But I know what I can do and am capable of. But it's just the first round, we need to go and do it again next weekend.
"A long season ahead. We just have to keep our head down and keep pushing."
While it was a good day for Norris, Verstappen could be forgiven for feeling frustrated by his failure to come out on top.
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However, the Red Bull star insists he's 'very happy' to bring home some 'good points' for his side.
"It was a difficult race, of course," he admitted.
"But at the end it was fun. Lando had a little moment on entry of Turn 6, so he lost a lot of momentum there, so that’s what I got close and then I got the DRS.
"I got close but it’s very hard to pass around here, but it was fun.
Lando Norris celebrates with his team after winning the Australian Grand Prix
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"Those last laps, pushing, at least when you’re fighting for the win.
"I’m just very happy to bring it home, score good points, and this is a decent starting point for us."
