The F1 circus has now reached its thirteenth race week. Battles will become more fierce, as the teams will fight for might. Amidst the competition, Max Verstappen continues to lead, meanwhile others tail behind. Nothing much has changed in the last two years; only this time, top teams are giving extremely tough competition to the 3x World Champion—especially Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris. The Brit who shares a great bond with Verstappen chooses to always breathe around his neck in the races. However, Norris can’t stop being too harsh on himself.

While Norris continues to conquer podium after podium- going up to 2nd place on the table, Leclerc trickles down to third place on the driver’s standing. Despite the adverse situations, the Monegasque has been more optimistic than ever. Meanwhile, the McLaren No.1 keeps improving with every race, but his failure to capitalize on the upgrades has been a major problem. This has made Norris move ahead as the biggest critic of himself. While sharing his own experience, Leclerc sent a subtle indirect message to Lando. Let’s see if he can get the hint because fans surely can!

Learning from his past experiences, Charles Leclerc has become more kind towards himself

Charles Leclerc believes it is important to be self-critical. However, the fine line between self-criticism and self-deprecation is thin, and bringing a balance is necessary. Leclerc is a renowned self-critic, but how has that helped him? While discussing the sport and his life as an athlete with BBC, the 26-year-old Monegasqe spoke from his experience of years of being harsh on himself: “In the past, it has always been one of my characteristics to be hard on myself. I think it is a bit my father who helped me to understand that it was very important for me to be honest with myself. And I have always kept that.” 

Leclerc would always question his ability as a racing car driver even at the slightest inconvenience. However, his father would always uplift his morale and teach him to believe in his skills. “When I was younger,” he noted, continuing, “it wasn’t beneficial because I was too hard on myself and I would actually put myself down.” Leclerc concluded, “Then I have learned with time that it is very important to be honest but to still have confidence in yourself and it is the balance of the two that works well for me.”

Seemingly, Lando Norris can take lessons from these ‘golden words’. He is as talented as Leclerc, and his latest performance has been better than Ferrari’s ‘Golden Boy’. It is important to be honest with oneself, but inflicting criticisms that shun proven skills can be demeaning. Lando’s words for himself at the end of the 2024 British GP were an example of this. On the other hand, despite the consistent hiccups, Ferrari, and especially Charles Leclerc aren’t losing faith. These contrasting pictures speak volumes of the pressure that both drivers go through every race weekend.

Lando Norris’ self-critic nature could be costing him races

Lando Norris is a critique of his talents. If something has remained constant over the years, then it has to be Norris’ self-critical mindset, which might now be costing him the battle against Max Verstappen. Despite having the right upgrades, strategies, and speed, he hasn’t capitalized on them to win. Since the Brit’s first win at the Miami GP earlier this year, Lando ‘Now Wins’ is back to being Lando ‘No Wins’. And his self-disparagement plays a major in this.

At the British GP, 24-year-old Lando Norris was seen with his head down after a trackside interview. Post-race in Silverstone, Norris expressed frustration: “I’m just disappointed, it’s a win. It’s a win in Formula 1 and I’m not going to settle for something less when we should have achieved it.”

Norris needs to learn a lot from Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, given it took Max 6 years to win his first championship. So, understandably, patience is the key, and these self-doubts can push him back. On the other side, Leclerc’s visible struggles with Ferrari continue- season after season, but he has not yet given up on the Maranello-based.

At present, Lando Norris is in his prime this season, and fans are loving his aggressive side. His smart moves on the track have proven beneficial for McLaren, and now, only patience and self-belief can turn struggles into potential wins. As the Hungarian Grand Prix awaits the Brit, do you think Lando will swoop the trophy? Share in the comments below.