Jenson Button has explained how Lando Norris has overcome insecurities that have even plagued the likes of multiple-time Formula 1 Champions like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
The F1 paddock can be a vicious battleground, where half the job of going fast is achieved in the head.
No one knows this better than Button, who the 2009 F1 title with Brawn. The Briton’s illustrious career has seen him amass 15 Grand Prix wins.
He has also shared the garage with seven-time World Champion, Hamilton at McLaren. And all throughout his exploits at the pinnacle of single-seater motorsport, Button has isolated a common trait of all the drivers.
Button explained how even the greatest drivers are plagued with ‘insecurities’ including the likes of Hamilton – who is statistically the greatest F1 driver of all time.
“As drivers, we’re flawed. We are insecure,” he said on the Beyond the Grid podcast.
“That’ll go for any driver. When I heard Lewis Hamilton on the radio last year in the Ferrari, when he asks a question, and they don’t come back to him, and he’s like, ‘Have I done something wrong?’ It’s like, you’re a seven-time world champion.
“The confidence you should have is out of this world. But, you know, insecurities creep in.”
Button highlights Lando Norris’ key mental health “strength”
The 46-year-old went on to explain how far too often he has seen top talent crumble under the pressures of F1.
He attributed this failure to not a lack of skill, or even dedication but just a lack of support and deteriorating mental health.
For Button, this is where Norris shone last season. Despite the pressures of going up against Verstappen and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, the Briton made a sublime comeback to clinch his maiden title.
Throughout, Button explained, Norris broke the norm and spoke freely about his mental health – something he considers as Norris’ biggest strength.
“It’s crazy, and the pressure you put yourself under, it’s enormous,” Button added. “That’s why you see so many drivers fail in the sport. Even though they have the talent, mentally, they’re just in a really dark place.
““I’ve heard it from many drivers. We think of it as a weakness, so we don’t talk about it.
“And that’s what amazed me with Lando, the way he’s been outspoken over the last couple of years on mental health. Really, really good, and I think that gives you a lot of strength.”
Norris will have to dig deep into his reserves this time around if he wants to defend his title. Four rounds in, he is already a whopping 49 points adrift of leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli with the Canadian GP up next.
READ MORE – Lando Norris calls for drivers to have a ‘seat at the table’ for building F1 regulations
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