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Lando Norris has spoken openly about a period of real self-doubt during his world championship season, the year he held off Verstappen to become the first McLaren world champion since 2008. It was not a straightforward journey, and at one point he needed to look outside the sport to find his way back.
A Period When Nothing Clicked
Norris was candid at the Laureus Awards about what the middle part of last season actually felt like from the inside. "That was a period when it just was not clicking. I did not feel comfortable in the car, even though the car was actually fast enough to win races." The gap between what the machinery could do and what he was able to extract from it was the source of his frustration. "I just could not get out of it what was in there. That is the way I am: I need input from other people to find the right direction again."
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His solution was to seek out athletes from other disciplines. "I spoke with some of the best in the world about how they handle difficult moments and how they stay focused." He did not reveal every name, but he mentioned one. "Rory McIlroy is always very open about his struggles and how he deals with them. That helps, especially when you know someone a little."
A Title That Still Feels Surreal
The championship that followed is something Norris still processes in unexpected moments. "That was really something, because there have been very few champions in the history of Formula 1. The fact that I am now in that group is almost impossible to take in."
The reality of it tends to arrive without warning. "I was sitting with friends recently and someone said: do you realise you are a world champion? Those are the moments when it suddenly sinks in. And honestly, every race weekend I am reminded again, just by that number 1 on my car."
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