The McLaren driver took his first Grand Prix victories and was the closest challenger to Max Verstappen in the title race, but it was the Red Bull driver who ultimately retained his crown with two races to spare.
While Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri combined to win McLaren their first Constructors’ title since the 1998 campaign, Norris was the driver to push Verstappen hardest in the Drivers’ Championship.
Verstappen’s drive through the field in Brazil, going from 17th on the grid to take victory, ultimately ended the title battle in a competitive fashion before he claimed it mathematically in Las Vegas – and Norris admitted the moment the World Championship became out of reach was difficult to handle.
“When that realisation kind of sets in of ‘it’s gone’, it’s a tough one,” Norris told the BBC’s F1: Back at Base podcast.
“This is what I’ve done since I was a kid, this is all I want to do. So, as soon as that kind of candle is gone and it’s over, it hurts.”
With the scores resetting to zero this time around and the regulations remaining stable, McLaren are due to be among the front-runners once again in the 2025 season.
But having ticked off several firsts for himself last season, Norris said he can take the positives from a breakthrough year and believes he is someone who has “everything it takes” to fight for the title once again.
“It’s been a year where, actually, I’ve been pretty proud of my performance.
Proud of performing under the pressure that we’ve been under, delivering when I have,” Norris said.
“I’ve made my mistakes and, at the same time, I’ve learned a lot from those mistakes.
“So for us to go into next year, going ‘we have what it takes, we have a car’… I believe I’m a good enough driver and I’ve got everything it takes.
“I’m excited to go into 2025 knowing I’ve learned a lot, I’ve improved a lot and I’m ready to bring the fight to everyone.
“Confidence is something I’ve struggled with in the past and probably I’ve only built enough up throughout this season to go ‘I’m confident that I’m a good enough driver to win a championship next year’ and I can bring a fight to whoever wants to fight me for it.”
