McLaren boss offers fresh insight into Lando Norris mental challenge

Zak Brown has offered an insight into the off-track development of Lando Norris.

Norris sits second in the title fight during F1’s summer break, having won five races in F1 2025.

Zak Brown: No one seems to be talking about that

Norris is in the midst of a tense title fight with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, sitting just nine points in arrears after 14 races.

He started the year strongly, winning from pole in Australia and has won three of the last four races – and was a narrow second in Belgium to his stablemate.

A mistake in Canada saw the Brit nose into the rear of Piastri’s car in a clash that saw him eliminate himself from the race at the cost of 10 championship points.

It was an error Norris immediately owned. By the time the circus reached Austria for the following event, it had been forgotten.

Previously, it was an incident that the 25-year-old would have dwelled on, but a stronger mentality has emerged this season.

“I think Lando’s in a great place,” Brown told American publication Racer.

“There was also a time Lando couldn’t win from pole, according to the world, and he’s won four of the last five races [he’s started] from pole.

“So I think this kind of narrative around Lando is not accurate today.”

Norris proved Max Verstappen’s closest championship rival through the latter half of F1 2024, but found himself out-muscled by the Dutchman.

By contrast, Piastri proved unshakeable under pressure, raising suggestions that Norris was not mentally tough enough to succeed in a championship fight.

That view was underscored by self-deprecating comments made when performances weren’t up to the level expected.

However, there has been less of that in F1 2025. While he remains his own harshest critic, Norris has responded better to setbacks, with his performances reflecting that.

“He’s open, kind of wears his emotions on his sleeve, so to speak,” Brown suggested. “I think everyone’s different, but I think he’s in a great place. I’ve never seen him in a better place.

“I think the Lando of a year ago maybe would have been more critical on himself,” he added in reference to qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. “He’s doing an awesome job. So, no, I think that is much like the he can’t win from pole stat. Now that he’s won four or five races from pole, no one seems to be talking about that.”

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Norris himself has spoken about his process, acknowledging that he’s tended to dwell on the negatives too long.

Speaking in Saudi Arabia, following a Bahrain GP dominated by Piastri, he revealed he was working on his mental fortitude.

“It’s a balance, I think I’m clearly still trying to improve on,” he explained.

“Such as this week, trying to remind myself of the good things. I do think of the bad stuff, the negative things, more than I think of the positives.

“I have to get reminded that I’m leading the championship and that I won the first race and things like that, and I’ve been on the podium every race. I have to get reminded of them rather than just being able to remind myself.

“I know I’m hard and I know I’m tough on myself, but for 95 per cent of it, I think it’s a good thing. I think it’s what makes me who I am and makes me have a chance in Formula 1 and be with McLaren and be fighting for a world championship.

“I accept that there’s probably the last few per cent which can be a very important few per cent where I probably say too many negatives and that gets into my own head and I don’t think of the positives as much as I should.

“I probably just don’t remind myself enough of [the positives] and that’s probably something, the main area I would say that I need to improve on.”

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