Lando Norris put in a fine performance in 2023, especially towards the end of the season, garnering praise from everyone involved in the sport. The British driver showcased his exceptional talent and continued improving throughout the season, greatly helping McLaren’s cause to improve rapidly. Former F1 world champion Jenson Button has taken note of the same but claims Norris’ self-criticism is holding him back, per a report from RacingNews 365.
“He’s a real thinker, and sometimes that hurts him because he looks at himself too much and worries that he’s not good enough.”
While critics are a crucial part of F1, Norris acts as his own worst critic and often becomes too hard on himself for the smallest of mistakes. Examples of the same came whenever the 24-year-old would miss out on pole position in 2023. Instead of focusing on the fact that they improved from being last on the grid to racing at the front, Norris would focus on losing the Qualifying sessions to one or two driver/s.
As such, Button also advised Norris to not keep his calm and to have faith in the McLaren project. The team is still developing their car and needs to find those tenths or hundredths of a second, and Norris needs to stay positive by then. Citing the example of the Mercedes downfall, Button said he didn’t believe anyone would beat the Silver Arrows for the next 10 years, but Red Bull came along, and now they are at the top. Given the same, all Norris needs to do is remain patient and keep working hard.
Lando Norris needs to keep believing in himself
Putting in a strong recovery in the latter half of the season, McLaren and Lando Norris took the F1 world by storm, given their incredible progress. The 24-year-old secured seven podiums in the season, finishing P6 in the drivers’ standings. However, the Briton could not register a race win on any occasion. Meanwhile, his teammate, Oscar Piastri, was able to take home a race winner’s trophy by claiming the top spot on the podium during the Sprint session in Qatar.
Given the same, Norris now has the added pressure of winning a race, especially since his rookie teammate won a sprint race last year. Nonetheless, Zak Brown understands the importance of having someone of Norris’ capabilities in his team and is prioritizing retaining Norris beyond his current contract by offering him a renewal. Despite the often self-crippling self-criticism, Norris is one of the best up-and-coming drivers on the grid, and experts believe it is only a matter of time before he starts winning races and becoming a championship contender.
