Lando Norris admitted he has been putting "a bit too much pressure" on himself after a rollercoaster weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Norris was leading the drivers' championship at the start of last weekend, and initially impressed in Jeddah, topping the timesheets after the second practice session.

However, he crashed in qualifying, meaning he started from 10th on the grid, while closest challengers Max Verstappen and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri started at the front.

Norris eventually finished fourth, challenging Charles Leclerc for third in the closing stages, but still dropped to second in the standings, 10 points behind Piastri, who has won three of the five Grands Prix in 2025.

The Brit won the opening race of the season in Australia and has since claimed three podium finishes, but he acknowledged that he might be hindering himself by trying to be "perfect".

"I was quite relaxed [despite Saturday's crash]," he told the F1 Nation podcast of his mindset in the build-up to the race.

"I put in my headphones for the first time ever. I've never worn headphones on the grid. It's when I perform well, when I'm having fun, and I'm relaxed.

"I'm probably putting a bit too much pressure on myself at the minute, not because of any [particular] reason, and not because of the championship and all these things. I just put too much pressure on myself because I want to do well, like I want to do so well.

"I want to be pole, I want to win, I want to be perfect, and I think I need to accept a little bit more that I'm not going to be perfect, and I'm making mistakes because I'm trying to be perfect, rather than the other way around."

A hard fought race by Lando to finish just shy of a podium in tough conditions #McLaren pic.twitter.com/1nXCXgJxBC

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) April 21, 2025

There is no race this weekend, with the season resuming in Miami, where Norris won his maiden Grand Prix last year.

Norris remains confident in his ability to challenge for the championship again this year when he picks back up after the break.

"I think I just need to chill out a little bit and have a bit more trust in my speed, because my speed today, and my speed in every race this season, has been, I think, the best," he added.

"I'm very confident that I can win the races if I just give myself a better chance on Saturday. It's easier said than done, and I need to go out and do a better job on Saturdays, but that's what I'll be working on."