McLaren’s Lando Norris sees improvement but believes mental health remains an uncomfortable topic to talk about.
The British rider first burst onto the scene in 2019, striking a confident and youthful figure in the paddock while also impressing with his capabilities on track.
But it turned out that Norris actually went through an internal struggle particularly during that first season, wrestling with his own questioning of whether he was good enough to be in Formula 1.
This has allowed Norris to become a key voice in speaking out about mental health issues, which in a sports setting, many have previously seen as a taboo subject that could expose the weakness of other competitors.
Norris is then working to change that perception, not only in Formula 1, but also in the outside world, with Norris becoming a strong symbol who has helped others overcome their own struggles.
Having found his mental health “exhausting to deal with” after joining the F1 grid, Norris then worked with the ‘Mind’ charity, an experience he gives a lot of credit to.
“That was good for me,” he said, quoted by Speedweek.com.
“But I see, it’s still a topic that people don’t like to talk about. And I think that has to change.”
The situation isn’t bleak, though, as Norris admitted he’s seeing more people start to open up on the subject.
“It’s nice to see more and more people find the courage to talk about it,” he said.
“And I don’t see anything negative in that. It’s good for you, and if you have fans following you who may have similar difficulties, that can help them too.
“I received a lot of encouraging feedback from fans due to my opening. Suddenly, people wrote to me that they had a scare because of me and that now they could talk better with family and friends.
“I realized that I could do something good here. And the more open and honest you are on social media, the more likely you are to reach people.
“I am proud and happy that I found the courage to tackle this issue and the more fans I reach, the better.”
Norris has recently joined the four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel when talking about the importance of mental health, believing that it is even more important than physical health, but this does not seem to be the way of thinking.
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