“If Kimi had said it, people would have loved it”- Lando Norris feels that his fun guy image got him backlash for Lewis Hamilton comment.
Lando Norris in the middle of the season got immense backlash when he “has to beat one or two other drivers, that’s it” and the world champion winning races “doesn’t mean anything to me, really – he’s in a car which should win every race, basically”.
Further, he was also criticized for using harsh words against his counterpart Lance Stroll for an accident, where he called the Canadian, “stupid and careless”. Though, Norris taking cognisance of his mistakes and soon apologized for his words.
I owe an apology. I’ve been stupid and careless with some things I’ve said lately in media and interviews, and haven’t shown the respect I should have to certain people. I’m not that kind of person, so know I should apologise to them but also everyone reading/listening. Sorry
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) October 27, 2020
But now he thinks that “fun” guy image brought him such a brutal reaction from fans, and when the Autosport asked him whether Kimi Raikkonen had been lauded for the same words, he agreed with them.
“Yes, I think if Kimi had said it, people would have loved it. There’s nothing you can do about that, that’s how people portray you. I guess I’ve come in and been the jokey guy and perhaps not as serious as I should have been, and I feel like I’ve done a better job with that,” he said.
“But I guess people have just never seen the bad side of me or the angry side of me, and then when I have shown that, people just think I’m acting out in a bad way and disrespecting everyone, which I’m not.”
People probably never saw an angry side of me.
Norris also stated that there had been times when other drivers have been left without any accountability for much harsher words, as people considered to be normal, and an angry side of his made people shock, propelling them to react like this.
“But I guess people have just never seen the bad side of me or the angry side of me, and then when I have shown that, people just think I’m acting out in a bad way and disrespecting everyone, which I’m not.”
“You have other drivers who say these kinds of things a lot of the time, and just because they have always said it, people just find that normal and then that’s just the way it is.”
“A bit of the reason is I’ve generally been seen as a bit of a nice guy and so on, and when I say something a bit more aggressive or offensive in some ways and people just see that as a contrasted side of myself.”
“That’s just the way it is. It’s not something I can just change; it’s just people’s perceptions of different people.”
