Lando Norris’ biggest weakness doesn’t have anything to do with his driving abilities. That way, he’s arguably one of the quickest in F1, and has been tipped as world championship material since his debut over six years ago. But that tag is slowly fading away because of his mentality.
Norris’ first-ever title charge came last season when McLaren developed the fastest car on the grid midway into the season. But mistakes made on his part—and admittedly some by McLaren—derailed his challenge, as he had to settle for P2. Heading into this season, Norris was sure he would iron those mistakes out and compete for the crown again.
However, once again, Norris is making those same errors. Slip-ups in qualifying, a lapse of concentration in races, and making self-depreciating comments in the media pen.
Norris has questioned his abilities time and again, but in a recent interview, he stated something that irked former Ferrari manager Peter Windsor. Norris had said, “I am very confident that I can win the races if I give myself a better chance on Saturday.”
The Bristol-born driver was addressing his qualifying woes. After being up 20-4 against teammate Oscar Piastri last year, he is now 3-2 down on the Aussie. And that has made things difficult.
Norris has made several mistakes on Saturdays, including a crash in Q3 in Jeddah two weeks ago, which limited him to a P10 start on the same day Piastri went on to win from P2. But Windsor feels that Norris was just stating the obvious.
“Already there’s a negative because he actually does qualify quite well,” Windsor said in a YouTube video. “He didn’t in Saudi Arabia, and he’s had a few glitches. But generally speaking, he’s been pretty good. So, he needs to be super positive…”
Windsor then shifted to another self-critical quote of Norris’ in which the Briton discussed putting himself under too much pressure, which ultimately forces him to make mistakes. This baffled Windsor.
Lando Norris reflects on his mentality towards racing and being his own harshest critic #F1 pic.twitter.com/K50FgnI2Fs
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 28, 2025
He couldn’t comprehend why Norris would dwell on the fact that he couldn’t pursue perfection over how he could actually improve himself.
“I don’t know why he’s saying all this stuff. After Saudi Arabia, he should be keeping quiet, not stating the obvious, or going down this path of what is the difference between a mistake and trying to be perfect. I mean, it’s just nonsense,” Windsor added.
Even driver coach Martin Villari once pointed out how Norris is his own worst enemy due to his repeated self-criticisms. By explaining how the mind works, Villari revealed that if the 25-year-old continues to repeat negative things about himself, his subconscious will begin to believe it, and this will just intensify his struggles.
Norris, however, is unlikely to change his attitude. As he’s stated a few times in the past, this approach works for him, and he’s happy to be self-doubtful in his pursuit of glory.
“That’s how I get the most out of myself. Everyone has to find their own way of maximizing themselves. And this is my way. I don’t really mind if people agree with it or don’t agree with it or like it or not.”
