Norris points to past struggles as inspiration in Verstappen fight

Lando Norris believes his past struggles in F1 in dealing with pressure can help inspire him in the 2024 title fight against Max Verstappen. 

Norris is Verstappen's closest rival in the drivers', some 70 points behind with 258 left up for grabs across the final nine race weekends, including fastest laps and sprint wins, and took eight out of the Dutchman following a win from pole at Zandvoort last time out. 

McLaren now has the fastest car in F1 with Red Bull continuing to struggle with the RB20 as the MCL38 continues to improve, with boss Andrea Stella even believing the nine straight wins Sebastian Vettel took in 2013 could be a target for the team to end the season. 

It is the first time that Norris has engaged in a championship battle in F1, going up against the three-time world champion Verstappen, with the Briton open in the past about his struggles with mental health and coping with the pressure. 

However, he is keen to use the knowledge of how to get through that to aid him in pursuit of a maiden F1 crown.

"Probably not as much as you think, but I struggled a lot with [the pressure] when I started in F1, in my first, second and into my third year," Norris explained when asked by media including RacingNews365 when asked about the pressure of fighting for the title.

"Because I struggled so much back then, I feel like I've learned pretty well how to handle it and that has helped me, even in the position that I am now. 

"Maybe not directly in the fight of a championship where I am neck and neck with Max, but just dealing with more questions and the pressure of everyone thinking that I have to deliver every single weekend - and also knowing myself that I have to deliver every single weekend.

"But because I've struggled a bit in the past, I've been able to deal with it in a much better way not and therefore it doesn't have much of an effect, but there is pressure on the team as well.

"I probably want to feel a little bit of pressure, and externally, there will be more pressure on me, but it is up to me to deal with it in the way I feel best and therefore, I don't really feel uncomfortable. I just have to go out and drive, that is all I can do and not think about these external things.

"So in the place I am now, fighting for wins and the championship, honestly, it is just another weekend."

Norris also gave insight into how nerves affect him ahead of key sessions like qualifying and races, detailing how he struggles to eat or drink in the build-up to heading out on track.

"There's always pressure, which is the main like, you know, I still get so nervous for qualifying, you know, for the races, I still get just as nervous," he added.

"I don't eat, I barely eat anything on Sundays, I struggle to drink on Sundays just because I am so nervous and because of the pressure. 

"But I think about how to turn that into a positive thing, how can you not let it affect you in a bad way and use it in a good way to help you focus on the great things. 

"But probably forever, when you enter qualifying, when you have to go out and deliver, because it is so nervous and so much pressure and if you brake one metre too late or turn in at the wrong time, it is finished, game over.

"The knowledge of that puts you under a very intense feeling, but it is also an amazing feeling at the same time that you cannot replicate in many other sports, but I am nervous and I will probably have it forever."