Lando Norris has always been one of the most self-critical drivers on the grid. He has missed out on multiple race wins due to factors within his control in the past but has never blamed the team, tires, or cars. Journalist Andrew Benson admitted that he prefers this behavior over that of someone like Michael Schumacher.
Benson appeared on the F1: Chequered Flag podcast, where he discussed Norris’ nature. He shed light on the Briton’s habit of taking accountability for the mistakes he makes on track, which is when he brought Schumacher into the conversation.
Lando Norris about being honest with himself:
“I am self-critical and I know it can look bad from the outside”
“But I set high goals for myself, I know what I am capable of, I want to try to achieve great things and I am not going to do that by being complacent.” pic.twitter.com/z0B5iUm1HZ
— McLaren News | (@McLarenF1_News) April 6, 2024
“Looking at it from the outside, I’d much rather have it that way than the way Michael Schumacher used to do it, for example, who just never ever admitted he made any errors ever,” Benson stated.
Schumacher rarely admitted to making mistakes on the track. The seven-time world champion had an explanation ready in most cases, that would shift the blame onto someone else. Towards the end of his career, he told Motorsport that his stubborn nature was because of the environment around him. In that regard, three-time World champion Max Verstappen is closest to Schumacher.
Norris, however, has always been different. During the Dutch GP qualifying on Saturday, he took P1, finishing four-tenths of a second ahead of Verstappen.
Still, the McLaren driver was critical of how he messed up turn one, suggesting that he could have gone faster. New-generation drivers like Charles Leclerc and George Russell are also known to have a similar nature.
Tough task ahead of Norris to beat Verstappen
Despite their contrasting reactions to mistakes, Norris and Verstappen share one goal: winning the World championship. Currently, Verstappen has the advantage, holding a 78-point lead over Norris in the standings
Norris can overcome this deficit, but he must capitalize on his pole positions and convert them into race wins, starting this weekend in Zandvoort.
Norris starts in P1, just ahead of Verstappen, and a win could send a strong message to the Red Bull driver that he will be pushed all the way in the subsequent nine races.
