Despite Being in a Title Fight, Lando Norris Opens Up About “Lonely” F1 Existence to Paddock Insider

Lando Norris finds himself in a stellar run of form off late. The #4 driver secured his first Grand Prix win earlier this year at the 2024 Miami GP and is the closest title rival to three-time world champion, Max Verstappen.

Norris‘ performances on track have coincided with McLaren nailing their development with the MCL38. The Woking-based team have finally caught up to Red Bull in the latest technical regulations era. Everything suggests that the Briton should be at the top of the world. However, as revealed by former F1 presenter, Jake Humphrey – nothing could be farther from the truth.

Humphrey, who hosted incoming Haas driver Oliver Bearman on his High Performance podcast, revealed a conversation he had with the 24-year-old. He said (as quoted on X (formerly Twitter)), “I was with Lando [Norris] the other day and I said how was life aside from doing brilliantly in F1? And you know what he said? – Lonely.”

Norris’ introspection speaks volumes about the pressures that drivers face in Formula 1 today. Moreover, Humphrey also hinted at the cost of winning in this sport. Norris, like all the other drivers, has had to make massive sacrifices. And despite that it can all go wrong in a moment.

McLaren and Norris’ season has been defined by small margins. The team have made some costly errors on the pit wall, and the Briton himself has not always delivered in the cockpit. As a result, despite having arguably the strongest package on the grid, the team has dropped points and Verstappen is still in the lead of the championship.

Lando Norris needs to pull his socks up if he wants to beat Max Verstappen

The #4 driver has come under immense scrutiny from fans and the media alike for his mistakes that have cost the team points and race wins. That being said, the British racing driver is aware of his shortcomings and is hopeful to get on top of them as the season resumes this week at the 2024 Dutch GP.

Race Fans quoted Norris as explaining, “I’ve got to work on myself and work on a few things first. I feel like I’ve had the car and I’ve got what I need around me. But I’ve made probably a few too many mistakes – I have made a few too many mistakes over the last month or so. I’ve lost opportunities. So I think I would like to do that.”

Norris would like to wipe the slate clean and start the second half of the season by reducing his deficit to Verstappen in the driver’s championship. Going into the Dutchman’s home race, Norris sits seventy-eight points adrift the #1 driver.