"Positioning Oscar ahead of Lando to put pressure on Max": Will Joseph reveals the strategy that led Norris to the title

Behind the drivers, under the glare of the spotlights, we mustn't forget those who work behind the scenes for their success. The first victory of Lando Norris is no exception: behind him is Will Joseph, his race engineer, who worked throughout the season to lead his driver to his greatest success to date.

The British engineer has been with Norris since his debut in the premier category, and this trophy is the result of their years of fruitful collaboration. It's not just a partnership. There are so many people working on this car, not just Lando and me. There are the performance engineers, but also everyone else from McLaren and those outside as well, who work with Lando, recalls Will Joseph. It wouldn't be fair for me to get all the glory!

The day before his victory, Lando Norris had qualified in second position, behind Max Verstappen and in front Oscar piastriBoth were contenders for the title. Having faced numerous criticisms for its papaya-related regulations, McLaren considered issuing team orders to its drivers at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to secure the championship. Ultimately, no such directives were necessary. “I didn’t sleep much last night, we analyzed many different scenarios, especially regarding Max. We were very well prepared and we proved it tonight.” McLaren always prepares very well; some judge us based on that. explains Lando Norris's engineer. Some say we talk too much on the radio, but we prepare well and we work together. And it pays off; we won both titles and I'm very proud to be part of the team. »

How Oscar Piastri helped Lando Norris

Isolated from his teammate Yuki tsunodaMax Verstappen had to take on the two papaya-colored cars alone at the front of the pack. The McLarens played their part well, with Oscar Piastri staying out on track for a long time to slow down the Dutchman. Putting Oscar in front of Lando prevented Red Bull To really have the opportunity to control things, that's one of the things we talked about, to put pressure on Max, deciphers Will Joseph. This gave us back control of the race, with two cars against one. Of course, there were other cars in the paddock that could have helped him, and we saw a bit of that during the Grand Prix, but we covered all the bases and we were well prepared."

For his part, Lando Norris hardly put a wheel out of alignment during the race. Lando was more comfortable than us at the start of the race! We knew the pace he had available, and at one point we told him that was enough and that he needed to use this advantage to his rhythm because we were too stressed! Graining was likely to be a problem, so we didn't want to push too hard either. Joseph's analysis. We couldn't be the first to stop, so we had to manage the tires carefully. Lando did a great job; he must have been comfortable until we told him to accelerate. »

In the first lap of the Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri, extremely aggressive, overtook his teammate. I'm not going to say that Oscar's overtaking maneuver was premeditated, but we had discussed what we would do if it happened. admits the McLaren engineer. It changed the race, but when it happened, Lando didn't really defend very hard, and we knew that just put us on a different attack plan. We weren't stressed about it.

Joseph and Norris, a relationship of trust

Beyond the technical aspects, the human relationship between pilot and engineer is essential. I can tune a car, manage the mechanics; that's the easy part for me. Psychology isn't usually a very good skill for an engineer. confides Will Joseph. Maintaining a good rapport with the driver is undoubtedly the most difficult job for a race engineer. We've worked on that. We're very close with Lando, and there's a lot of mutual trust; a lot goes unsaid. It's working well. »

Eight years ago, McLaren placed its bet on a young Lando Norris to join its junior program. The gamble paid off: in 2025, the Woking-based team not only won the Drivers' Championship with Norris, but also the Constructors' title. It's incredible (to see Lando's journey). When he did his first test in F1We had a document with everything you needed to know about our approach to this, and what we wanted to see from him. the British engineer recalls. Over the years, we've ticked more and more boxes. Now, Lando is leading the way and is more demanding of us; we've reversed the dynamic. We were pushing him at the beginning, and now he's pushing us. We're working hard, and the relationship is growing. »

The collaboration between the two men will continue next year, at the wheel of a car revised according to the 2026 regulations. For now, it's certainly time for celebrations among the Papayas.

ALSO READ > Norris, world champion: "It had been a long time since I'd cried."