(Paris) Like other great sportsmen, the young British Formula 1 driver Lando Norris does not hesitate to speak publicly about his mental health, which has “helped him a lot” and can “help others. people ”not to feel alone.
The American gymnast Simone Biles, by giving up several events of the Olympic Games this summer, the Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka or recently the Brazilian soccer star Neymar brought the debate on the mental health of athletes on the world media scene.
Only 19 years old (in 2019) in the elite of motorsport, Norris experienced similar problems early in his career and made no secret of it: “It has helped me a lot to make the situation public. ”
“But if I said it to the media, it is not so that people feel sorry for me but to help other people who, in turn, will find the strength to speak out. So that they can say to themselves: “I am not alone”, explained the Englishman in a recent interview with AFP and the German daily. Bild.
Entourage
“I’m much better now than I was two years ago. I enjoy life a lot more. I’m not always worrying, thinking, panicking anymore, ”he continued.
Two years ago, the young British hopeful, Formula 2 runner-up in 2018, was propelled into F1 at McLaren, tasked with the Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr to drive the rebirth of the British team.
Before talking about it publicly, Norris surrounded himself: “A few years ago, when I was karting, and for a long time, I had recourse to a psychologist to help me. But now I just have a very good team around me, my engineers, my coach, my manager, my family, with whom I can talk about everything ”.
Like on a tennis court or a gymnastic mat, the Formula 1 driver is alone in his car and the mental aspect is essential.
Especially to get up after a failure, like that of Norris in Russia: leader for most of the race, he did not enter the pits to change tires when the rain arrived in the last minutes and this error cost him victory.
“There will always be something in the back of my mind that will remind me of Sochi because it was my first chance to win in F1. But it’s more like a memory, it doesn’t really hurt me now, ”he assured from the next race in Turkey.
Younger than George Russell (23), Max Verstappen (24), Charles Leclerc (24), Esteban Ocon (25) or Pierre Gasly (25), Norris (21) wonders why his generation is better able to talk about these topics.
I’m sure there have been a lot of pilots or athletes in the past who felt the same but never said anything. I don’t know if it’s because we’re more open today, more willing to say how we feel.
Lando Norris, F1 driver
Social networks
For the video game enthusiast, who has 4.2 million followers on Instagram and over a million on his Twitch channel, social media is also “a big factor in this area.”
Mental health problems in an athlete “can also start with social media, not necessarily because of the sporting situation you are in”.
Entered Formula 1 “to be world champion, not to be a star”, Norris thinks he will have “a chance in 2023 and 2024” with McLaren, who has yet to catch up on Mercedes and Red Bull.
Despite everything, he considers himself to be “a privileged person” who is “very lucky” to do this job.
“The consequences of fame can be positive, if you can brighten up a young fan’s day with a selfie,” the hugely popular pilot explained, before concluding: “And if you’re having a bad day, you put on your hood. and you hope not to be recognized ”.