Lando Norris has delivered an insight into the cause of his early-season struggles, suggesting it was rooted in fixating too much on how he was publicly perceived.
Norris is on a strong run of form and has outpaced team-mate Oscar Piastri at the last six grands prix.
It has left him 24 points clear in the lead of the drivers' championship with three rounds remaining, putting him in a great position to seal the title.
However, early in the season, Piastri often held the upper hand as the two tussled for the championship.
Immediately after winning the São Paulo Grand Prix, Norris declared his recent form was aided by ignoring “everyone who talks crap” about him.
When asked to expand on the answer by media including RacingNews365, Norris said: “There are always people out there that try and bring you down a little bit.
“I guess it’s quite normal. When you’re on a big stage, there are a lot of people that talk and say things, try and influence other people to have effects.
“Even the cheers and the not-cheers—you still hear it. It’s not the nicest thing. But I think it’s something I’ve done well over the last few months.”
An honest Norris declared he cares greatly about how he is perceived by the public, an element that he feels impacted his early-season form.
“I care a lot about people’s perspectives and how I’m portrayed and things in the media,” he said.
“I probably cared too much—even at the beginning of the year, I think I cared too much, and probably it was affecting me in not the best ways.
“I’ve just learned to deal with those things better—not by not caring, because I still always want to have a good impression. I never want to be rude or do those things.
“But I’ll always try and make my point and say what I believe in.
“That’s one of the things I’ve learned the most: just to be true to yourself, have confidence in yourself, believe in yourself, and speak your mind. So yeah, it’s more just keeping my head down and concentrating on myself.”
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