FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Italian Grand Prix - Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy - September 1, 2024 McLaren's Lando Norris during the drivers parade before the race REUTERS/Massimo Pinca/File Photo
MONZA, Italy (Reuters) -Lando Norris believes he can still win the Formula One title, despite his Dutch Grand Prix going up in smoke last weekend, and would not wish similar misfortune on championship-leading McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
Norris is now 34 points behind the Australian with nine rounds, including Sunday's Italian Grand Prix at Monza, remaining.
Piastri has seven wins to Norris's five for the season and won at Zandvoort last Sunday after Norris stopped with a mechanical problem while in second place.
"I can still win the championship without anything happening (to Piastri)," the Briton told reporters at Monza on Thursday. "That's the way I wish to do it.
"It would certainly make my life easier if there were just some more drivers in between every now and then," he added. "The thing is, we're so dominant as a team and that almost makes my life harder."
McLaren have finished one-two in seven of the 15 races so far and have won the last five in a row. Piastri is the only driver to have scored points in every race.
There are a total of 249 points remaining to be won, with 25 for a race win and a maximum 24 from the three Saturday sprint races that each pay out eight points to the winner.
Norris, the Australian's only real rival, said it was still a case of "may the best man win" and he would respect the eventual outcome.
While admitting frustration at what happened at Zandvoort, Norris took comfort in the knowledge that it was nothing to do with how he had been driving or anything he had done.
"It's pretty easy to just go 'well, that's life, you know, what can I do'," he added.
"If I lose the championship by those points, then I just have to keep my chin up, my head up high and try and do it again next year.
"I can't dwell on those moments too much. It's not anyone's direct fault. Even if it was, I just have to take it on the chin and move on."
Norris said last weekend that he would be full-on in his response to the situation but he recognised on Thursday that his options were limited and he had been operating already at a very high level.
"I've got to be a bit more on it and sharp with various things here and there," he said. "I can't do a lot more because I feel like I'm doing already everything I can. It's not like this was a trigger and now I can suddenly start doing more."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
