Lando Norris is in contention for the Formula 1 world championship for the first time in his career. The Briton is going head-to-head against reigning champion Max Verstappen. However, it seems that Norris might not be ready to win the title.

Verstappen and Norris have had multiple incidents this year including the controversial collision at the Austrian GP. Last weekend in Austin, the two battled it out in the ending stages for third place. With the McLaren driver finishing fourth due to a five-second time penalty.

Heading into the last five races of the season, Lando Norris trails Max Verstappen by 57 points. Although, it seems that the 24-year-old might not have what it takes to defeat the three-time world champion at least this year. RELATEDRed Bull at risk of losing second place to FerrariLando Norris needs to learn how to fight for the championshipNorris’ behavior on and off-track shows that he is not fully prepared to be in a title fight.

The Briton seems to be much more impacted by incidents compared to Verstappen. The 24-year-old had even claimed that their friendship might be at risk. Formula 1 is all about mind games, and this puts the McLaren driver on the backfoot even before they hit the track.

Lando Norris (via IMAGO)After the US GP, Lando Norris expressed his frustration with the stewards. However, the 24-year-old could’ve easily overtaken Verstappen again if he had given back the place. This would’ve changed the circumstances and put pressure back on the Dutch driver.

Even Dr. Helmut Marko has commented on Norris’ ‘mental weakness. ’McLaren too is back in title contention for the first time in a decade.

Comments made by Zak Brown and Andrea Stella show that they are ill-prepared to tackle Red Bull. In contrast, Milton Keynes and Max Verstappen know how to play games during a title fight and are winning the battle off-track. Certainly, Lando Norris has shown that he has the pace to win in F1.

However, the Briton might lack the mental maturity of someone like Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton. Such a mindset only comes with experience and it is likely that Norris can learn how to deal with high-pressure situations in the coming years. RELATEDThe odd timing of F1’s ban on fastest lap point