Johnny Herbert believes Lando Norris is only at the beginning of his peak after securing the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship, insisting the McLaren driver emerged from last season mentally stronger, more complete and capable of elevating his performance even further.
Norris has recently claimed that he is targeting back-to-back Titles ahead of the 2026 F1 season which means carrying the pressure of defending a Title but Herbert argues the experiences of 2025 have prepared the Briton better than any season before.
Herbert told JeffBet media team: “Lando Norris has learnt how to deal with pressure in 2025.
“The pressure will still be on now that he’s heading into the season as the world champion.
“The expectations are there and will always be there. Anyone else who has gone up against Max Verstappen hasn’t succeeded, but Lando was able to beat him and Oscar Piastri at the same time,” the former driver explained.
Despite a shaky start to his Championship campaign, Norris managed to turn a corner around midseason delivering sustained execution and absorbing pressure from both his closest rival and his teammate.
Herbert believes that maturity was the decisive shift that turned Norris from contender into champion.
He added: “The maturity really started to come through during last season, but as a sportsman, he’ll be trying to push his limits yet again this season.
“Lando is a more complete driver because of the experiences he had in 2025, whether they were good or bad. I think he can mature even more, too, he can reach another level.”
Piastri lessons from a title that slipped away
While Norris converted momentum into a maiden F1 Championship, Herbert believes Piastri’s failure to capitalize on a competitive car could ultimately shape his future success if the lessons are absorbed.
“Just missing out on the championship will have a positive effect on Oscar Piastri,” the Briton said. “Yes, he’ll be disappointed, and it was an opportunity that got away, but that’s sport.
“There are good and bad times. Things can change, Formula 1 always has that ability to test the drivers,” he maintained.
Consistency was the dividing line, according to Herbert who went on: “Piastri didn’t have the consistency to win the championship despite having the winning car, he had a window where his performances were poor.
“Lando Norris was able to overcome his issues quickly. His main problem was his starts, but he was able to sort that out and put himself in a stronger position.
“Piastri needed to find that little weakness and fix it if he wanted to win the championship. He was very comfortable at the start of the season, but he struggled when it didn’t go his way.
“Piastri will have learnt that and will look to improve his weaknesses,” Herbert, a winner of three grands prix, concluded.