Although Lando Norris appears to the public - both on and off the track - as an enthusiastic and confident young driver, the British driver also suffers from anxieties, which are partly caused by the way he works in Formula 1. He explains this in a McLaren blog.
Especially during his debut season, Norris suffered from anxiety, something he was afraid to talk about: “Despite making it to F1, something I had dreamt of ever since I began racing, I found myself questioning my own self-belief: worrying if I had what it took, comparing myself with my team-mate and other drivers. It screws with your head.”
That's why Norris is now calling for a reconsideration of how to deal with mental illness in the King's class. Norris: “In sport, because no one wants to give the opposition an edge or show any weakness, we don’t talk about mental health as much as we should – and we really should.”
Strong social network
As a possible solution Norris suggests building a strong social network, which he found on the tracks in the form of his manager, performance coach, and the engineers of McLaren. He is also helped by what he calls a "mind coach", who has helped him achieve "a more positive mental state".