Lando Norris heads into the winter as the newly crowned Formula 1 world champion, yet his priority over the holidays is simple. He wants a few days where he can forget he is one of the sport’s biggest stars.

Speaking to BBC Sport, the McLaren driver explained that after an emotionally exhausting season, he hopes to live “a normal few days,” stepping away from the constant glare and intensity of F1.

The 26-year-old admits he will always carry pride in what McLaren achieved but is eager to temporarily park the pressure that came with edging Max Verstappen by just two points in the championship. For a driver who has spent years under a spotlight, the chance to decompress with family and friends feels as important as any setup tweak or simulator run.

Reviews, Awards, and a McLaren Christmas

Norris’ off-season will not start with a beach but with debriefs. He and McLaren will review a campaign full of near misses and decisive moments, focusing on decisions he feels he “could have done better” despite ultimately finishing the job in Abu Dhabi. Those sessions are designed to turn tiny regrets into gains before the new regulations arrive in 2026.

There is also some celebration on the agenda. Norris is due at the FIA awards gala, where he finally gets to put his hands on the drivers’ trophy, followed by McLaren’s Christmas party, which he calls one of the best nights of the year. Only then will he truly clock out for the holidays, even if the next phase of F1’s arms race is already looming.

Ski Trips Before a Shortest-Ever Break

Once the formal duties are done, Norris plans to disappear into the mountains with his close friends and family for a skiing trip, joking that he will “get all my injuries out of the way nice and early.” Time on the slopes, plus days spent with his parents, brother, and sisters, is his way of resetting mentally after a season that left him drained as well as fulfilled.

The escape will be brief. Because of the 2026 rules overhaul, private testing in Barcelona begins as early as January 26, giving teams one of the shortest off-seasons on record.

Norris knows that once he straps back into the McLaren, the focus shifts again to development, title defense, and adapting to a new era, which makes these few weeks of pretending he is not a Formula 1 driver all the more precious.