The McLaren driver claimed his maiden championship in 2025 after a closely fought three-way battle with teammate Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen, securing the crown by just two points and earning the number one on his car this season.
Speaking to Speedcafe on Thursday in Melbourne, Norris insisted that being labelled “the hunted” does not alter his mentality on track, adding his focus remains firmly on performance rather than expectations.
“I don’t know. I mean, we’ve been the hunter, let’s say, for many, many years. But honestly, I think when you get on track, you’re not either,” he said.
“You just go out and get the most out of your car and get the most out of me. You certainly don’t think, oh, I’m the hunted now, and something changes.”
Norris explained that both he and the team continue to operate with a hunter’s mindset, concentrating on extracting the maximum from themselves rather than thinking about external narratives.
“I guess our mentality as a team is still always to feel like we’re the hunters and get the most out of ourselves, focus on ourselves,” he said.
“That’s also the best mentality for myself, is to set the bar up here and never be happy.
“Still to complain about myself and not be too happy with myself until I’ve achieved what I know I’m capable of achieving.”
“I’m still obviously improving in as many areas as I can. I’m still going to come in and say I’m not happy with myself, or I’ve done a bad job if I’ve done a bad job.
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“Yeah, for me, I’ve always treated my own mentality as being the hunter. But I’m wanting to be the best version of myself, and I’ll continue to do it that way.”
The 26-year-old added that winning his first world title has only intensified his desire to succeed again, rather than allowing him to relax over the off-season.
“I’m still just as hungry,” he said.
“I think it made me want it more, in a way. You get that feeling, the same as when you win one race, you want another one in a race.
“For me, it was the same feeling with the championship, that one is amazing, but then you definitely want to achieve two.”
Norris enters 2026 in a season defined by sweeping technical and power unit regulation changes, meaning all teams have effectively started from a clean slate.
Despite testing suggesting McLaren may not begin as the outright benchmark, Norris remains confident in the squad’s ability to develop across the campaign.
Even if the team is not immediately at the front, he believes that does not represent a disadvantage.
“I have good confidence in the team no matter what,” he said.
“I don’t think we’re starting on the back foot. Even if you’re second, third or fourth, quickest, I don’t think that’s on the back foot.
“I think that’s a very good position to start it.”
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