Lando Norris has explained how he mentally approaches different Formula 1 circuits, revealing he was “s**tting himself” prior to the Monaco Grand Prix this season.
The Briton has recovered from an early-season lull to be within nine points of team-mate Oscar Piastri once F1 resumes from its summer break at Zandvoort next week.
Norris has appeared to benefit to some extent from the bespoke alterations to his front suspension, and some sterling drives have seen him reinvigorate his title challenge.
Wins at Austria and Hungary saw Norris at his very best – fast, measured and combative when necessary, and will have surely settled the psychological woes that afflicted his performances in some earlier races.
When asked if he has a win that stands out in correlation with a particular circuit, Norris said it was difficult to know for sure, as he has recently performed on tracks he usually has less affinity with.
“That’s tricky,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “I mean, I think there’s been a mix of ones I just feel a bit better at, just because it does generally align with just tracks I’ve always been better at.
“So if you look back to Red Bull Ring and things like that, they’re tracks I’ve just always enjoyed, I’ve always clicked with.
“I think a lot of the time it does also align with feeling, and I think that’s why I’ve been quite vocal about my feelings, because the better I do feel in the car, the better I’m going to do.”
The circuits where Norris struggles the most
After his triumph at the British Grand Prix, Norris, when asked by Motorsport Week, denied that the front suspension change on his MCL39 was wholly responsible for his upturn in form.
However, the revisions made to it were to enable Norris to gain more feeling in the cornering, something he explained is an area where he has previously struggled.
“It’s quite linear, they’re one-to-one, and part of my job is trying to prove that they’re not a good feeling and try and make that as good as when I’m feeling good, but that’s the trickier times.
“So, China, things like that, generally more front-limited tracks are ones that you rely more feeling from the steering.
“That’s where I’ve struggled a bit more this year, and those are the times I’ve struggled more.
“Tracks that… and at times I’ve done well, even like Monaco, I was s**tting myself before Monaco. Massive front graining, terrible last year.
“Turned into one of my best performances this season.
“So there’s been plenty of cases where I’ve expected worse and I’ve done better than an expectation, but the places where they’re normally front-limited, just leaning on the front tyres a lot, require a good steering feel, those are generally the places I struggle more.”
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