Lando Norris conceded it has "maybe not been the perfect or dream start" to his 2025 Formula One season, but said he's "still happy" with his performances so far. 

Norris sits second in the drivers' championship, 10 points behind McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri ahead of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. 

Piastri's upturn in form is one of the stories of the season, with the Australian winning five races to Norris' two so far, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen the only other victor. 

Last year, Norris was the leading McLaren driver and took the fight to Verstappen in 2024, winning twice as many races as Piastri managed, as McLaren won the constructors. 

But the tables have turned. Along with more race wins, Piastri has more pole positions (four to two) and has out-qualified his team-mate 7-4 over the course of the season. 

Norris will contest his 137th Grand Prix this weekend, all with McLaren, and will overtake Jenson Button (136) as the second driver with the most races for the British team. 

And while Norris said it had not been the ideal start, he insisted that his points haul was a solid foundation to build a world championship title bid on. 

"It's been the start that is needed in order to fight for a championship," Norris told BBC Sport. 

When asked if Piastri's form has surprised him, Norris said: "I wouldn't say so. If I was on the outside, 100% I would agree.

"I'm not surprised, because I know the kind of driver he is. I know what he's capable of doing. I know the talent he has. And I guess I see it more than anyone else.

"I'm the guy looking at what he does with his feet and with his hands, and how he drives the car. I'm able to give a more accurate answer than anyone else on the outside."

Ready to make the most out of Montreal #McLaren | #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/YLueHPB5cA

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) June 11, 2025

Norris was also on hand to discuss his clashes with reigning world champion Verstappen over the last couple of years. 

The pair locked horns in Austria, Austin and Mexico in 2024, which saw Norris drop valuable points as the Dutchman romped to a fourth consecutive world title. 

In the past, the Briton has criticised Verstappen's aggressive driving and described his clash with George Russell in Barcelona last time out as something out of Mario Kart.

This season, Norris has found himself with a competitive car from the off, but refused to count Verstappen out of the drivers' championship hunt despite his recent struggles.

This makes fighting the Dutchman an even more treacherous prospect. Norris, though, has learned his lessons from the past and now knows when to pick his battles.

"When you're racing for wins, championships, against the best in the world, you can never expect things to be easy," Norris added. 

"You learn in go-karting that you can't at all easily overtake around the outside. That is like a rule number one. But it can be done, and it will be done.

"The number one goal for us is always to finish. Sometimes, when you try too hard, things can go wrong.

"You might end up not finishing the race, even though you might be in the right. So sometimes you’ve got to take the safer approach."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Oscar Piastri - McLaren

Piastri claimed the seventh win of his F1 career with a brilliant victory at the Spanish Grand Prix last time out, claiming the 50th win for Australian drivers in the competition.

Five of those victories have been in the first nine races of 2025. He could become the first Australian driver to claim six victories in a single year in the history of the competition should he finish Sunday's race at the front of the pack. 

He has also finished on the podium in each of his last eight races, the best current streak in the competition. 

If he finishes on the podium in Canada, he will be the 10th different driver to finish on the podium in nine consecutive races in the history of the sport. 

Piastri has also secured four pole positions in his career, all four coming this season. Three of them ended in victory for the Australian, and if he converts pole position into a victory in Canada, he will be the 36th driver to achieve this on at least four occasions.

Max Verstappen - Red Bull 

This weekend's race marks the first of two when Verstappen will walk a penalty tightrope after the contentious events that unfolded with Russell last time out in Spain. 

While a 10-second end-of-race penalty dropped the Red Bull driver down to 10th, losing nine points in the world championship battle, there was further sting in the tail. 

The Dutchman saw three penalty points added to his super licence, moving him to 11 points and one away from triggering an automatic one-race ban under F1's regulations.

Points stay on a driver's licence for one year until they expire, but Verstappen does not drop the first of his current points haul until June 30, after Montreal and Austria. 

Indeed, Verstappen has finished 10th or worse in two consecutive races just once in his F1 career, coming in the last race of 2015 (16th in Abu Dhabi) and the first grand prix of 2016 (10th in Australia). 

But despite the controversy surrounding him from Barcelona, Verstappen became the fourth driver in F1 history to lead at least one lap in 100 Grand Prix races, behind only Lewis Hamilton (191), Michael Schumacher (142) and Sebastian Vettel (107).

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers'

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 186

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 176

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 137

4. George Russell (Mercedes) - 111

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 94

Constructors'

1. McLaren - 362

2. Ferrari - 165

3. Mercedes - 159

4. Red Bull - 144

5. Williams - 54