Ex-Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button has cautioned Lando Norris he could end up in a possible “spiral” should he continue to criticise his own performances.
Norris seemed on course to win the British Grand Prix last weekend as he led the race, but pitting one lap too late upon the crossover to slicks saw McLaren lose out.
Lewis Hamilton undercut his compatriot to take a record ninth Silverstone triumph, while troubles on the Soft compound saw Norris also slip behind Max Verstappen.
But while he picked up his seventh podium this season, Norris lamented McLaren “throwing away” another chance to add to his maiden win in Miami earlier this term.
“We still had a weekend where we’ve clearly been the quickest,” Norris reflected.
“We’ve always been there or thereabouts, but never the car, and I think we need to keep working as a team.
“I need to keep working on my own stuff, and just try and put it together because there are still so many positives.
“There are so many good things and so many things in place, but it is frustrating when a few times this season we’ve thrown away something that should have been ours.
I’ve heard that a lot lately, so I hate saying it again. But yeah, I mean, so many things were going well. We threw it away in the final stop.
“So one lap, but also I don’t think it was a lap. I think even if I boxed on the perfect lap, our decision to go on to the Softs was the wrong one.
“I think Lewis still would have won no matter what. So two calls from our side cost us everything, so, especially here, pretty disappointing.”
McLaren has retained a quicker car than Red Bull in several races this season, but Verstappen has managed to extend his points lead as his main rival has slipped up.
The Woking-based squad committed a strategic error in Canada to lose Norris the lead, while the one-time F1 race winner rued a sluggish start that cost him in Spain.
With Norris again cutting a despondent figure as a win on home soil escaped his grasp, Button has warned the Briton that negative emotions could impact his driving.
“Lando needs to be a little bit careful with his emotions,” Button reflected on Sky Sports F1.
“He is putting himself down massively at the last race, this race, it can quite easily spiral out of control.
“We know how important it is to have your head in the right place. He is so talented that I don’t want him to be too down on himself so that he is not back up there at the next race.
“You also don’t want to show your competitors that you’re that down. That’s a weakness that you don’t want to show.
“It’s lovely that he’s open with his emotions and it’s great for us viewers.
“But I’m just thinking of the competitive side of things. He shouldn’t be so down on himself.”
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