Lando Norris Receives Mighty “Mentality” Expectation From Damon Hill After Maiden Miami Victory

After the taste of victory at Miami, Lando Norris has been extremely close, to winning more than once. Earlier in his career, it was all about getting to the podium, but now, things have changed. After being the driver with the most podium finishes without a win, even P2 is not an acceptable position for Norris. All he needs now are some well-deserved victories, as he has been a threat to Max Verstappen’s dominance.

In both Imola and Montreal, the Briton driver was just inches away from winning. However, in the end, it was an uncomfortable P2 for Lando Norris. The former F1 world champion has analyzed Norris’ performance and spoke about it in the recent F1 Nation interview with Tom Clarkson. Here is the advice he gave a young McLaren driver.

Damon Hill talks about the mentality change that comes with a Grand Prix victory

Damon Hill and Tom Clarkson were discussing the current affairs of F1 and the topic moved to Lando Norris. Clarkson then asked Hill about how the McLaren driver’s mentality must have changed since his first win. The host asked the 63-year-old world champion about when in his career was it that he felt the need to win every race.

Hill related this to his motorcycling days as he explained that the feeling of racing changed when he was in the front. When he had no one to beat, he decided to take things to Formula 1. Hill then said, “All these guys in F1 have won in cars; they’re used to being at the front. The big one is Formula One, and so once you’re at the sharp end, their mentality does change. It has to change. Coming second is no good. It’s not what you’re there to do.”

Winning for Norris is extremely important now, as he finally is in a position where his car can compete against Red Bull. Miami, Imola, and Montreal were all examples of McLaren showing promise, and anything but first is considered a loss. In the words of Jos Verstappen, “Second place is the first loser.” The world champion mentality has to be do or die and now that it’s only Max Verstappen that Norris is looking to beat, he will have to aim for a win in every race.

While drivers like Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, and Lando Norris have a chance at fighting for the title, there are many drivers who are fighting to stay on the grid. Damon Hill expresses the need for a winning mentality as he describes the flaws of many drivers.

Damon Hill’s pet peeve with Formula 1 drivers

The position for drivers in winning teams is simple: fight for the top and nothing else. However, when it comes to teams at the back of the grid, staying in F1 is a challenge. Hill explains how divers across the grid think, as he said, “A lot of people are comfortable making the goal just getting into Formula One. You hear it all the time when drivers say their goal was to make it to Formula One.”

Explaining his main issue with some drivers, he says, “Did Ayrton Senna say, ‘I’m glad I got to Formula One,’ ‘No’. Did Michael Schumacher say, ‘It’s great to be here?’ No, they’re there to win, and that’s the goal. The only reason you should be in Formula One is to get to the front of the pack and win.”

While being in Formula 1 is a thing of prestige, winning is just as important. With only 20 drivers in the sport, the competition is lesser than other sports, but all the tougher. Even though a driver is not in a competitive car, we have seen some highly unexpected wins in the past.

For drivers who are not on a winning team, their goal should always be to find a seat that will help them compete for the top. That being said, do you think there are drivers who should be on a better team than they currently are?