Norris must change his lifestyle according to Peter Windsor

Is Lando Norris ready to become world champion? This is a question that some specialists in the field are currently asking themselves after multiple costly mistakes since the start of the season, the latest being last weekend during the Spa-Francorchamps round.

A new bad start

After a promising qualification, finished in fourth place, just ahead of his teammate and taking advantage of Max Verstappen’s penalty to start third, the McLaren driver saw all his hopes of victory vanish in the first corner. In order to avoid any problems, the winner of the Miami Grand Prix preferred to move as far away from the racing line as possible, but lacked judgment and put two wheels in the gravel, destabilizing his car and causing him to lose three positions. After the race, which he finished in fifth place, just behind his rival Max Verstappen, the British driver did not hide his disappointment and frustration after another costly mistake.

« Turn 1 ruined my chances of everything. I just tried to avoid contact with the people inside and miscalculated the curb… and I went off. So it’s a bit silly, honestly… almost embarrassing. »

« I don’t know why. These are just stupid things. They’re not even difficult things. It’s just… at the first turn, I tried to stay out of trouble, tried to make sure there’s a gap and not get hit, and then I went off track. » Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time this situation happened, with the McLaren driver losing positions at the start in 5 races since the beginning of the season, including the last three. Mistakes that cost him dearly in his own words, especially since his car is now capable of winning races fair and square.

A situation that concerns many experts like the journalist Peter Windsor who questions the British driver’s too soft character, who notably left the door open for Max Verstappen during the sprint race in Spielberg, allowing the Dutchman to overtake him, or when he chose to let his teammate Oscar Piastri pass him in the final laps in Hungary even though he was leading the race.

A personality that he must change?

Lando is a good boy, and I imagine he will be embarrassed by that. He doesn’t need this. He needs to be a tough and gritty race car driver. Lando needs to toughen up if he wants to beat Piastri. It must be a secret that Oscar doesn’t understand. He’s too much of an open book. And that’s not good. I don’t think it’s good for a driver of Lando’s level,” Windsor said on the Cameron F1 channel.

Norris seems to be a little tense at the moment, no doubt due to the pace displayed by his Australian teammate since the beginning of his career, even raising his level in the last few races, forcing Norris to attack even more, which can lead to mistakes.

For Windsor, it is not just about pressure but also about constitution, the journalist explaining that the generation to which Norris belongs may be more popular than the old ones, but they probably do not have this winning culture, an element that the Briton must acquire if he wants to have a chance of becoming world champion.

« He has become a global social media star. You have created a character that you must conform to. This character will not beat Piastri and will not win a world championship for McLaren. This character is the one that fans love and find funny. They scream and shout, and want to take selfies. It is a character devoid of meaning that does not bring you anything as a race driver. It is a distraction, and he should move away from it.

« He must get rid of social media, cut everything off, and become a bloodthirsty race car driver. He must streamline his life. Streamline his way of operating as a professional Formula 1 driver. Become a race car driver. » Poignant words that were recently spoken by the person concerned, explaining that he was currently « too nice ».

With a 78-point gap to Verstappen, the summer break will do McLaren’s driver good, giving him time to regroup and attack the second part of the season more aggressively.