Lando Norris has previously opened up about his journey with mental health, from talking about his struggles during his rookie season in F1 to reflecting on his willingness to discuss such topics over the past year. But at Thursday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Norris did it again, albeit in a different position.
He became the first F1 race winner to do so.
Norris was asked about his willingness to discuss his mental health journey during the F-Game.IA press conference by moritz steidl of server tvand the McLaren driver discussed the support system that helped him have a more positive outlook.
He started with a jab against fellow driver and former teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
“It’s definitely not Daniel.” Norris joked.
“How can I look like the glass is half full? This is just one race, I want another race. I don’t know. What can I say? I was still lucky in the race. Just a lucky win. I don’t think it was because the safety car is a big part of every race,” Norris said. “You plan things like that for them. But it wasn’t pole-and-lead from the start. That’s it. The next goal is to be in front from the start and not be helped by the safety car. , and so on. But it’s also just a weekend.
“F1 is not just about one weekend. I know a lot of people want to talk about just one weekend at a time, but I think it makes you think about the bigger picture. It’s back to Miami and now we’re here in Imola. So there’s a chance we’ll be the third best team again and not far behind Red Bull or Ferrari to challenge for the podium. be.”
The McLaren driver then detailed the lessons he has learned over the years and the support system he has in place for advice.
“So, I think, yeah, you just have to take it one block at a time. Celebrate it or learn from it, in either case, move on to the next situation. Yeah, honestly, very It’s simple.” Norris added. “But to be honest, I think I’ve reached a point where I’m always open to help and advice from people and talk about it, no matter who it is.” [McLaren CEO] Zack [Brown] Or whoever my father, my mother, family, or friends are.
“I’m happy to take advice from them and listen to what people have to say, but at the same time I can do things my way and I like to do things my way. I feel like I’m at a point where I can deal with the good times and I can deal with the bad times. Everybody deals with it differently, but yeah, you don’t have to go out of your way to find this kind of support,” Norris concludes. Ta. “I feel like I’m in a much better place than I was a few years ago. I’ve just had the experience of maturing and coming to terms with myself and being happy and being able to celebrate that, but then I’m not going back to normal. You can get back in shape and focus on the next thing.”
Norris made headlines shortly after his rookie season when he said he suffered mentally and began to doubt his ability as a driver. “At the beginning of the season, there was a lot of pressure and it was very difficult.” [there was] And what I have to endure,” Norris told Greg Stewart in 2020. F1.com. “Basically I didn’t believe in myself that I could do a good enough job, and I didn’t know what to do if it didn’t work out. So I struggled quite a bit at the beginning of the season with little things, but… I don’t know, but it all came together and I suffered mentally because of it.”
Norris has played a leading role within F1 as a champion for people dealing with mental health issues for many years, having worked with McLaren’s mental health charity Mind. Norris also drove at the British Grand Prix wearing a customized helmet with a message of support for frontline workers. The helmet was auctioned to support Our Frontline, a charity that provides mental health support to frontline workers.
Photo courtesy of Dan Istitene – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
That season, Norris talked about how being proactive about discussing his mental health issues helped others.
“First of all, I’m very happy to see more people speaking out on this matter. And I understand that it can only benefit us and others. Actually, I don’t think there’s anything negative about doing that. It just helps you get better, and it only helps if you have a big following, or a lot of people watching, or whatever it is. It’s just about helping people who are suffering as well.” Norris said.
“It basically means that, for example, the first few times, before I talked about it in public, some people were talking about how it was helping them or how it had affected them. It’s time to grow the impact I can have as time goes on.”The impact of these thousands of people is significant,” Norris continued.
“It’s pretty amazing to see how much you can help others when I start getting messages about helping them, their friends and family, etc. and making them feel better.” It’s kind of like that,” Norris added. “So the more I watched it, the more I realized the influence I could have and the position I had in F1, in my life with my followers and my fan base… So… I thought it would be better.” Talk about this more publicly, around the world, and try to help as many people as possible. ”
In Imola on Thursday, Norris continued his efforts to help as many people as possible.
This is his first time as an F1 Grand Prix winner.
