Martin Brundle has underlined how Lando Norris' approach to the media will "feed his rivals" in F1 by highlighting potential weaknesses to exploit.
The McLaren driver has developed a reputation for self-criticism and being extremely hard on himself when he performs below what is required.
That tendency came to head again at the Bahrain Grand Prix, particularly after qualifying, when the Briton lamented his lack of form and branded himself "clueless" behind the wheel of his MCL39.
The five-time grand prix winner recovered from sixth on the grid to third by the chequered flag, but insisted he needed a "reset" to get himself back on track.
Norris' self-flagellation brought how the 25-year-old manages the mental strains of F1 back into sharp focus.
When asked if he had a mentor to lean on during his own career, Brundle reflected on the advent of sports psychology in the championship, but pointed out how that stops at the waters edge once you get into the car.
"No, I didn't, but I wish I had," the 65-year-old said on Sky Sports F1. "You train your body relentlessly. Why wouldn't you train your mind?
"But there is no doubt about it, even when Roman Grosjean was the first driver - it's not that long ago - to admit he had a sports psychologist, in this business, it's seen is a weakness, actually, and probably still is, to an extent.
"I remember talking to Rory McIlroy about this... so it's a difficult one because of the environment, and nobody can help you turn the steering wheel or press the pedals, by the way, when you get into the first corner, that has to be instinctive. That has to be your skill set."
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Brundle: 'Those really emotive words get grabbed...'
Whilst Norris' Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend started strongly, a costly error in qualifying at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit left him in the wall and consigned to a P10 starting spot.
Although he worked his way back up to fourth in the race, Oscar Piastri's victory saw the Australian grab control for the drivers' championship, which he now heads by 10 points.
With the impetus now sitting comfortably with his McLaren team-mate, Brundle is concerned Norris' openness with the media is handing Piastri - and Max Verstappen - an advantage.
"But yes, you do need to train your mind as well," the former F1 driver explained. "I think the thing with Lando, is he comes up with very emotive words, like: 'I'm clueless', or 'it's like I've never driven a Formula 1 car before.'
"And I do admire him. That's that's how he rock and rolls. That's what makes him work. He sort of beats up on himself as his way, but he just does it openly.
"Those really emotive words get grabbed by the media, by people like us, and much more importantly, they feed his rivals."
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Join RacingNews365's Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look back on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's five-second time penalty is a major talking point, as is Oscar Piastri being a potential match for the Dutchman. Lando Norris' title chances are also explored.
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