--- title: "2018 Formula 2 Preview: Norris’s pressure free season" canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2018/04/05/2018-formula-2-preview-norriss-pressure-free-season/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" author: "Kyran Gibbons" section: "Formula 2" published: "2018-04-05T06:54:39Z" modified: "2018-04-05T08:04:09Z" --- # 2018 Formula 2 Preview: Norris’s pressure free season It’s usually true that in motorsport a competitor spends much of their time absorbing pressure. Lando Norris, about to embark on his first season in Formula 2, is an exception. As McLaren’s Formula 1 protege and a driver entering the highly competitive F2 paddock as the reigning European Formula 3 champion, this may seem surprising. Particularly when considering that Norris will make his F2 debut with Carlin – a team which was absent from the series last season. Norris has, however, already proven himself as a supreme talent, boasting a CV rich in success and already befitting of an F1 opportunity. Suitably, McLaren has already seen enough of his raw talent to position him as the heir apparent to a race seat and as a result, 2018 is not all about trophy collecting. “It’s not a championship I have to go and win or that it’s like McLaren wants me to go in and win,” Norris said when quizzed on what his targets were for the forthcoming F2 season. “McLaren wants me just to maximise it as a learning year and try and treat it like F1, so give feedback and go about it in the way I would do as if I was in F1. Then, if I have the opportunity to step into F1 in the next couple of years, I’m already at the level that I need to be and not trying to work up at the end of the season.” ![](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2018/04/MALK2275-904x603.jpg) As F1’s primary feeder series, F2 is the best category for aspirational single-seater racers wanting to break into motorsport’s top-tier. Running parallel with F1, the series allows young drivers the opportunity to experience Pirelli tyres, on grand prix circuits in spec machinery while rubbing shoulders with F1 team bosses and bigwigs. For a large portion of the F2 field, that means a golden opportunity to secure a position in an F1 team, but Norris enters 2018 without that concern. His reserve driver status at McLaren removes more pressure than it adds heading into a season in which the team has provided a brief to suggest that on-track success is not the most important thing. That scenario will naturally result in one of two possible outcomes. Either a driver becomes sloppy and lost without a clear objective, or they are able to drive without shackles and find more time to grab better results. For Norris, a driver who has won the championship in every category in which he has competed so far, it will surely be the latter. Repeat champions are naturally self-motivated individuals. This year is also an excellent year to be a rookie in F2. With the introduction of a brand-new car in 2018 – the first since ‘11 – the playing field has been levelled and the weight of experience relative to performance is diminished. That not only assists Norris’s cause but also that of fellow rookie George Russell who makes his debut with ART Grand Prix. Entering the fold as reigning GP3 champion, Russell is expected to be Norris’ chief rival this season and a contender for the championship. ![](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2018/04/MALK3559-904x603.jpg) ART enjoyed a productive pre-season, recording more mileage than any other team and posting highly competitive lap times both in short and long run evaluations. Both Russell and fellow GP3 graduate team-mate Jack Aitken made regular appearances at the top of the timesheets. “Both are very good drivers and with ART as well, a very good team,” Norris said. “Altogether they are going to be very strong. Obviously, they are going to make my life harder. I think it’s a good opportunity to race against them and do what I can but I don’t think they are any different from having to beat someone else. “Me and George are kind of on the same timescale of trying to get to F1. I think at the end of the day, I want to beat him and prove that I can beat him but it’s still very much down to working well with the team. So, it’s not the biggest problem if I don’t \[beat him\], but at the same time I’m a racing driver so I want to try and beat everyone that I can.” Albeit a battle billed to be one of the season’s most compelling storylines, Norris is clearly unperturbed by the prospect of facing Russell. His priority is not on winning the fight against his fellow Brits in 2018. Both Norris and Russell are already destined to reach F1. A sensible strategy would be to focus on maximising this season as a learning year, building momentum and knowledge which could prove pivotal in a Norris versus Russell scrap for the greatest honour of all – a world championship title. If Norris was to beat Russell to the big prize in the future, a potential F2 championship defeat would seem insignificant by comparison. That being said, this lack of pressure will inevitably create a more lively battle this season. The bigger picture is less of a concern – instead, Norris will be able to attack the season on a week-by-week basis, solely focusing on maximising each weekend rather than looking at the bigger championship picture. That could mean bold strategies in feature races or finding and exceeding the absolute limit on a qualifying lap. Norris could incidentally find himself in a championship tussle by November as a result of a successful learning year. If he wins the F2 title on debut, he continues his remarkable streak of success. If he fails to claim the championship – and is even beaten to top honours by Russell – but has learnt from his 2018 experiences, then that would still be a successful year. With time on his side and no pressure to instantly find success in what is a tricky category, Norris is entering F2 from an unusual angle. It will add a fascinating dynamic to the battle at the front, because after all – that is where we will find him. ![](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2018/04/MALK0884-904x603.jpg)