Lando Norris explains how he aims to win F1 championships while staying true to his values, refusing to adopt a ‘killer’ mentality.
Is it necessary to play the villain to become a great champion? Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher, for example, are known for their toughness and relentless drive. If Lando Norris ever hopes to join their ranks as a multiple F1 champion, doesn’t he need to embrace a more aggressive, “bad guy” persona both on and off the track?
Speaking to The Guardian, the McLaren driver pushed back against that idea, expressing his belief that it’s possible to win titles without sacrificing his likability.
Is he saying this in contrast to Max Verstappen?
“I feel like there’s a very rigid idea of what a world champion should be—excessively aggressive,” Norris explained. “I’d rather just be a good person and try to do the right thing. I’ll do everything I can to win a championship, but I’m not going to sacrifice my life… or adopt the mentality of saying ‘screw you’ or being a jerk, which some think is necessary.”
“I still believe I can become world champion, but I’ll do it while staying true to myself.”
Norris acknowledged that he could choose to play the “bad guy” role, but he’s not willing to pretend to be someone he’s not.
“I don’t have the killer instinct that most drivers or champions have, because I wasn’t raised that way,” he shared. “I could pretend to have that killer instinct and act like a jerk, which might give people that impression, but there are things I would never do that other champions have.”
However, Norris also made it clear that he won’t let anyone walk over him.
“I don’t want to be walked on, and I never want anyone to think I’m giving up on things because I’m too nice,” he said. “I’ll always fight for certain things, I’ll take risks, and I’ll do everything I know how to do to become world champion—without losing the freedom to be myself.”
This mindset is shaped in part by Norris’ openness about his struggles with mental health, an issue he has talked about candidly and ahead of the curve in the sport.
“When I had negative thoughts about everything, including my own performance, I started to think negatively about the upcoming weekend even before it had happened,” he recalled. “It was clear to see from the outside how negative I was, and I still am. I’m the kind of guy who’ll say, ‘I did a terrible job today, I was awful, I wasn’t good enough.’ Probably few others would admit that, but I’ve always done so. It affected me and my well-being.”
“The worst part is, I know how lucky I am to travel the world, to be well-paid—I can do almost anything I want in life,” he added. “Sometimes, I feel like I don’t have the right to complain or say certain things as much as others.”
“However, talking about it has truly been a victory for me because I’ve received so many messages from people saying that hearing someone in my position speak out has helped them.”
These mental health challenges have allowed Norris to put his on-track struggles into perspective.
“Even if it was just one message, it made me happier because when someone tells you that you’ve saved their life when they were thinking about ending it…” he reflected. “I’ve received quite a few. And that makes me happier than winning a race. That’s how I see life—it has a bigger impact. Because you made a difference. Winning a race doesn’t make a difference.”
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Norris: No ‘Bad Guy’ Act – Just Pure Championship Drive Norris: No ‘Bad Guy’ Act – Just Pure Championship Drive