To show weakness has always been met with negative connotations in any sport but Lando Norris is breaking down that stigma, inspiring others.
Lando has already brought a completely new dynamic to Formula 1. Lando made his debut with McLaren, like many other young drivers this was met with self-doubt as he struggled with the fear of not being good enough to be in the sport.
Being a driver who plays a vital role in opening up to the social media audience, Norris has also become an inspiration to many who have and continue to battle mental health issues in doing so, he brings a completely new element to Formula 1.
“I was different to a lot of Formula One drivers, being open about everything really, being a bit more fun, a bit more jokey, probably more just like a normal person rather than some robot walking around the paddock,� he told ESPN.
“I guess people already like that and it cheered a lot of people up, me having fun and seeing someone joyful and making people laugh. “Every now and then I scroll through messages I get on Instagram just from random people, different people around the world who have messaged me. A lot of them are about them suffering from mental health, especially in the last year and a bit with COVID-19 – that’s something people have struggled with a lot more.
“I was getting messages from people saying how I’d impacted them and how me being me … how I’d changed their lives or, I guess as deep as saying, they were thinking about suicide and stuff like that, saying how I’d had an impact on changing that, saying they’re enjoying their lives much more.
“Seeing a lot of those messages and learning about that made me realise I can use my platform a lot more to speak up about it because it’s things I’ve struggled with in the past, and [it’s about] knowing and learning how much of a difference I can have on people around the world. “That’s when I started speaking out about it a bit more and realising that maybe it’s not always the nicest thing to talk about, but it’s something where I can help a lot of other people out.�
On the 30th of April this year, to celebrate what would’ve been Sir Captain Tom Moore’s 101st birthday, Mclaren took part in the #CaptainTom100 challenge in collaboration with their partners at Mind Charity to make 1oo check-ins with family, friends, and colleagues to support mental health.
Alongside his regular streams on Twitch, he’s recently taken up another passion, showing similarities to his racing career – golf.
“It’s very peaceful, a lot more quiet than racing, a lot less chaotic, it’s a nice way to get out and do something different but still give me that competitive side and competitive mentality which I love,� said Norris. “I love it. I see it in a lot of ways like racing. I get frustrated when I’m not going well enough. Everyone can hit a good shot sometimes, but it’s doing it consistently.
“It’s like everyone can probably do a good lap sometimes, it’s about being able to nail a good lap every single time you go out. It’s a similar mentality to golf. You can beat yourself up sometimes, but you can go into that next corner, or the next hole, or the next shot, and you can nail it.”
Headline Image: @MclarenF1 Twitter page