Following the loss of his world championship lead, McLaren driver Lando Norris has ruled out attending his favourite festive gathering in the Netherlands this weekend.
Last year, the 25-year-old Briton joined the King's Day celebrations in Amsterdam, partying with DJ Martin Garrix on a boat and even sustaining a minor nose cut while reportedly intoxicated, which was visible at the subsequent Miami Grand Prix.
After a challenging Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where a qualifying crash and race struggles saw him cede the drivers' championship lead to teammate Oscar Piastri, Norris admitted he needs some rest.
"I really need a break," he said on Sunday, following the gruelling Suzuka-Bahrain-Jeddah triple header. "I think the whole team needs it, not just me," he told Canal Plus.
"I had the pace to win the race today very easily," Norris added. "But I didn't do the necessary work beforehand. I'm here against the best in the world—Max, Oscar, Charles (Leclerc), George (Russell). When I make the slightest mistake, I immediately pay the price."
Coinciding with a rare Formula 1 weekend off in the next few days, the 2025 King's Day offers a tempting opportunity for relaxation. However, Norris confirmed he will not participate.
"No, unfortunately not," he told Viaplay. "I would have liked to go again, because it was one of the best days of my life, and last time I also won in Miami straight afterwards. And I miss all my friends.
"I had a good week in Amsterdam with Martin (Garrix), but I'm fighting for a world championship now. I can't afford to do something like this now. I have to go back home and train. This race (Saudi Arabia) was physically demanding and I'd love to have a drink now. But I haven't had a single (alcoholic) drink all year and I'm proud of that. I just have to keep working hard and can't go out and celebrate."
Norris' mental resilience has come under scrutiny amid his recent on-track errors, particularly in Jeddah. "We've seen him make mistakes like this a few times now," former F1 driver Timo Glock told Sky Deutschland on Sunday, "and in the end, that's what costs you a world championship."
Glock endorsed Norris' decision to avoid distractions before Miami, stating, "It's important that he doesn't let himself get too depressed by all the questions that are obviously going to be thrown at him all over again."
Glock also contrasted Norris with the new championship leader, Piastri, noting, "Perhaps his (Piastri's) advantage is a steady heart rate and that he doesn't have all these peaks or emotional outbursts."
McLaren's leadership also urged Norris to refine his approach. "He doesn't need to go faster," said CEO Zak Brown. "He's fast enough. But in the last few races, he's almost overdone it a bit in Q3. He needs to take it a bit easier. He has the car and the talent and maybe he doesn't need to push quite so hard."
Team principal Andrea Stella concurred, stating, "As Lando says himself, he needs to polish up his Saturdays a bit and then things will look better."
