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Jenson Button has spoken warmly about Lando Norris and his decision to discuss mental health struggles openly during his championship-winning season. The 2009 world champion used Lewis Hamilton as a second example to make a broader point: even the greatest drivers in the sport carry doubts that most people never see.
Every Driver Carries the Same Weight
Button's argument was made on the Beyond the Grid podcast and it starts from a position of genuine personal knowledge. "As drivers we are all vulnerable and insecure, however strange that may sound. Look at Lewis: even a seven-time world champion can ask himself whether he did something wrong when things are not going as expected. Then you suddenly forget everything you have achieved and focus only on that last session where you might have been two tenths short."
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Norris Reveals He Struggled With Mental Problems During His Title-Winning Season
The observation matters because Hamilton is the most decorated driver in the sport's history, and yet Button is describing a state of mind that would be familiar to a rookie in his first season. The pressures that Formula 1 creates do not disappear with success. In some ways they intensify because the expectations grow with every achievement.
Why Norris Speaking Out Was Significant
Button's specific praise for Norris was about breaking a habit. "Many drivers end up in a dark place despite their talent. We tend to see mental struggles as a weakness and therefore do not talk about them. That is exactly what makes what Lando has done over the past few years so strong."
Norris himself reinforced that point. He acknowledged that conversations with a psychologist during his title campaign were not a background detail but a meaningful part of his preparation. "You never know exactly how much impact something like that has, but I am convinced it helped me perform better. Everything that can help you become stronger, you should try. For me those conversations and that support made a difference in producing the run in the second half of the season that ultimately won the title."
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