Button reveals weakness in Norris' F1 approach

2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button has spotted a weakness in how Lando Norris sometimes approaches a race weekend.

Norris enjoyed a highly successful F1 campaign last year, scoring seven podiums as McLaren successfully developed its car towards the front of the field.

However, the Briton was self-critical at several events in 2023, particularly in the latter stages of the year after qualifying.

Norris felt that he let a number of potential pole position opportunities slip away from him, taking aim at his one-lap performances in Qatar, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Button suggested that Norris is sometimes guilty of looking into his own performances too much and overthinking situations.

“Lando is an extreme talent, he really is,” said Button.

“I’ve watched him since the first time he turned an F1 steering wheel, which was in Hungary, because I was racing for the team at the time.

“And it’s amazing how quickly he got to grips with it. But also, he’s a real thinker and sometimes that hurts him because he looks at himself too much and worries that he’s not good enough.

“But he is. He’s exceptional and I can't wait to see him in equipment that can fight for victories. But I'm not sure when that's going to come.”

Button backs Norris to win

McLaren is one of F1's most successful teams but the Woking-based squad has not secured a World Championship since Lewis Hamilton's triumph in 2008.

The last handful of years have been dominated by Red Bull with McLaren spending last year's campaign recovering towards the front of the grid after a disappointing start.

Despite being lauded as one of the strongest drivers on the grid, Norris is yet to take his maiden F1 race win after 104 race starts.

However, Button has urged his compatriot to stay patient as he hunts for his first run to the top step of the podium.

“It’s tough with the way that it is, with having such a dominant driver, team, that only one guy can win,” he said.

“You know if you can be second to that it’s a good starting point. But you hope it doesn’t go on forever.

“He’s not going to leave the sport because he’s not won a race. So he’s going to stay there and he’s going to keep fighting for those victories and that want isn’t going to go away and that drive isn’t going to go either.

“He’s still got to beat his team-mate. He’s still got to beat all the other guys on the grid.

“It’s painful when there’s such a dominant team for so many years but it changes.

“We’ve seen it change with Mercedes. I didn’t think anyone was going to beat them in the next 10 years, but they did. Red Bull came in and they’ve beaten them. So it happens.”