Lando Norris reveals ‘only ritual’ as he responds to Helmut Marko’s ‘games’

Lando Norris has joked that his only ritual is “eating chicken wraps” after Helmut Marko claimed he has “mental weaknesses” that involve rituals before races.

Up against Red Bull for this year’s championship titles, momentum has been with McLaren in recent races with the team taking the lead in the Constructors’ Championship in Baku.

Lando Norris calls out Helmut Marko for playing ‘games’

McLaren have extended that to 41 points while Norris has been nibbling away at Max Verstappen’s lead in the Drivers’ standings, shaving 26 points off that in the last four races.

Trailing the reigning World Champion by 52 points with a total of 180 still in play, Marko recently tried to downplay Norris’ chances of beating Verstappen to the title.

He told German publication Motorsport-Magazin: “We know that Norris has some mental weaknesses. I’ve read about some of the rituals he needs to do to perform well on race day.”

His comment did not go down well with Norris’ boss Zak Brown, especially as the Briton has in the past opened up about his mental health struggles.

“I read Helmut’s comments, which I felt were disappointing but not surprising,” said the McLaren CEO.

“Lando has been an ambassador for mental health. It is a serious issue that he has brought to the forefront and to make it okay to talk about. To choose to poke at that situation is pretty inappropriate and it sets us back 10 or 20 years.

“It is all fun and games as to how some people go racing and the tactics they use but I thought that one was in pretty poor taste.”

Norris, however, brushed it off, even joking that his only ritual was munching on a chicken wrap.

“He says I have some rituals but I think some of this is a translation difference,” the Briton said as per The Times. “My only ritual is eating my chicken wrap!

“Just to beat them is the best way of doing it [getting in their heads].

“Red Bull love a little bit more of that, trying to play games and stuff. It used to affect me, now I just find it more amusing.”

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But while Marko may be playing mind games with Norris, the 24-year-old won’t resort to doing the same with Verstappen. Instead, he talked up his rival’s mental fortitude.

“I don’t think you can,” he told the Daily Mail. “It is hard. It doesn’t work like that, and Max is one of the people you can get into the head of the least.

“He has weak areas like we saw in Budapest, but he is also a complete driver and he has been in this position before.

“He has had a tougher battle with Lewis (Hamilton) for a championship (in 2021) than he has now. You just need to beat him and beat him consistently.”

That, though, is easier said than done.

“If I don’t win, I don’t win,” Norris conceded. “I will do everything I can. Maybe it doesn’t look that way, and I am quite relaxed.

“I feel the most comfortable I have ever been despite being in the most pressured environment I have faced.”

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