‘I’m not the boss’: Lando Norris is articulate, open and intelligent – when he’s allowed to be

Lando Norris is revealed as winner of the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award. Photograph: Ian McIlgorm/Ian McIlgorm for Laureus

The war in Iran, meanwhile, has led to the cancellation of races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. F1’s enforced break, which will last more than a month, allows Norris time to train, rest and reset.

Ten days ago, he watched the final round of the Masters on his sofa. He was gripped by McIlroy’s tumultuous second straight victory at Augusta. But Norris admits, with typical candour, that he “fell asleep with three holes to go because I had work in the morning. I watched every hour possible until the last hour. Last year we were in Bahrain and we all gathered round watching it.”

Can Norris learn from other sports? “Yes. There’re always little things from what you see and what you hear people talking about – especially Rory. He’s always quite open about his struggles and things he’s trying when it’s not working out. It means even more when you know the athletes.

“I’ve spoken to Rory a couple of times. I don’t know some of the others, like Justin [Rose], who I wanted to win even more since he was so close last year. For Rosey to be going strong at 45 is pretty awesome. So there are always things you can learn and, when you speak to them, you get to know even more about their mindset.”

Norris reveals that “there are certain people I spoke to last year, when I was struggling. Top athletes, some of the best in the world, and I spoke to them about my struggles and what they do in those times. How do they block out the noise and be themselves on the tennis court or golf course, or wherever.”

Norris is understandably careful when asked who he spoke to: “I’d rather not say. But they’re incredible people who achieved a lot in different sports and certainly helped me achieve what I did.”

When did he need their help? “It was more like the start, that minimal part of the season when things weren’t clicking and I wasn’t very comfortable with the car. It was quick and easily good enough to win races. I just couldn’t figure it out on my own. That’s the way I am – I need help from many different people.

“But you’ve then got to go out and do the job yourself. Last year was very special as there are only 35 world champions from Formula One – ever. For me to be added to that list is pretty incredible.”

Sometimes that glorious reality strikes with fresh impact. “I was away last week, with some friends, and at dinner one of them said: ‘Do you not find it weird that you’re world champion?’ It’s one of those cool realisations again. I also get the reminder every [race] weekend because I’ve got the No 1 on my car.”

His latest award is also meaningful to Norris because Laureus uses sport to bolster people in disadvantaged communities “including mental health. When I was younger I never knew I’d have the platform to speak about [mental health]. So to realise the amount I can help other people is special. In the longer term that means more than winning a world championship.”

Lando Norris at the Australian Grand Prix this season. Photograph: Mark Peterson/Reuters

The 26-year-old has spoken before about how, in his first F1 season in 2019, impostor syndrome and depression nearly derailed him. “There were lots of doubts: ‘Do I deserve to be here? Why am I not as good as these people?’ You feel you’re wasting people’s time … I struggled a lot.”

A vulnerable Norris still had the empathy then to think of others and order 800 personalised water bottles. Each one featured the name of a McLaren employee, no matter their position. “That was 2019 and a lot still use their water bottle today,” he says. “My biggest motivation is always trying to make my team happy, as much as it is to make myself happy and win. There’re certainly drivers that don’t care about it as much but it’s something I’ve always loved.

“I remember in 2018 [as a test driver] I used to help pack the stuff in the evening with the mechanics. They do more hours than anyone, and get up at 4am. A couple of my mechanics now were at one of my first-ever test days [as a teenage simulator driver] … I’ve also been with my engineers since my first [F1] test in Budapest in 2017.”

Will Joseph was one of those men and, as McLaren’s director of engineering, he once said: “We often perform at our best when Lando performs at a subconscious level, without having to give the driving much thought.”

Norris nods. “It’s the dream every weekend to get to that stage. Sometimes it feels impossible.”

The “best example” of that flow-state “was the only qualifying lap where I cried afterwards. That was my Monaco pole last year. Qualifying was going pretty poorly and I started to question myself. Have I lost that little edge in qualies? It’s always been my biggest strength since I was a kid. Monaco is the hardest, and the one I struggled with since I came into Formula One. You have fear and different challenges. It’s Monaco and an incredibly tricky lap.

“You have to push past that conscious level. You have to get past thinking: ‘I’m going to brake here and do this.’ If you want pole, you’ve got to shut your eyes round the corner and see if you make it to the other side. It was special.”

This season is very different. “It’s been a difficult start,” Norris concedes. “That’s the price you pay for winning the world championship and throwing all your eggs in one basket. But [now] is a time to work on developments and upgrades without races.”

Teams have had to build completely new chassis and engines this season, to comply with the changed regulations, and McLaren lag badly behind Mercedes. Can they improve quickly or will it take months?

“It’s very difficult to say because you never know when other people are going to bring upgrades. I’ve given up trying to guess what’s going to happen in Formula One. But we’re confident we can have a much more competitive car over the next month or two.”

A few hours earlier I had been sent a message saying that Norris’s management did not want me to ask about his friendship and rivalry with Max Verstappen and George Russell or about the new F1 regulations. Norris has said before that the changes are dangerous and “we’ve come from the best cars ever made in Formula One, and the nicest to drive, to probably the worst. It sucks.” I push back, saying it is essential to ask Norris a few questions about the regulation shake-up.

Lando Norris celebrates with his team after becoming world champion. Photograph: Amr Alfiky/Reuters

With 10 minutes left of the interview I ask about the regulations. Norris’s manager is not with us in person but a phone has been placed on the table. His disembodied voice suddenly crackles from it and stresses that there can be no questions about this subject; his sole interjection during the interview.

I turn to Norris and underline the importance of the issue. A young representative of the management team in the room with us steps closer to say: “We’re done with time.”

I ask Norris if he can spare the additional 10 minutes I’d been promised. He looks embarrassed and says: “I’m not the boss.”

Norris is the world champion and his management company work for him and, when I protest this, he says: “That’s fine. I’m happy to answer that question.”

“No,” says the representative in the room.

Norris smiles awkwardly as he again says: “I’m not the boss.”

This muzzling of Norris is at odds with his open nature and the fact that McLaren allow him to be available for uncensored media engagements every race week.

We discuss a few other subjects including the fact that the next grand prix is a week on Sunday in Miami – where Norris recorded his emotional first F1 victory in 2024. But is it possible to catch Mercedes this season?

“We’re done with time,” the management representative in the room says.

I ask Norris why even such a mild question can’t be addressed. “No, we’re not answering that,” the man adds.

Even Norris looks exasperated as he turns to him and asks: “Why? Say yes.”

In the end, Norris decides to answer the bland query anyway: “Yes [Mercedes] can [be caught] and we’re doing our best to make sure it’ll be us who do that.”

Will Verstappen quit F1? It’s a legitimate question but there is laughter from the managerial camp. “I’ve no idea,” Norris says. “Max can do whatever he likes.”

I say it seems like Norris can’t do the same which is crazy when he is obviously intelligent.

His representative approaches us, goes into overdrive and, still laughing, says, as if talking on behalf of Norris: “He’s an amazing guy. Max is the best person ever and we love him. Quote.”

At the end I shake Norris’s hand and thank him for his time. Once he has left, I walk over to the garrulous young manager. I point to my white hair as a sign I have been interviewing famous sports people for a long time. For what it’s worth, I say, I think he and his company are doing Norris a great disservice.

I also offer him my hand and walk away into the night. The regret I feel is less for my own curtailed encounter than the troubling fact that an admirable world champion has to be policed in this way.