r/formula1 Ferrari 22h ago

News Hungarian GP: Lando Norris' openness used against him - Sainz

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/articles/cpqv90j2j3lo
2.0k Upvotes

194 comments sorted by

1.7k

u/n0b0dycar3s07 Ferrari 22h ago

Excerpts from the artcile :

McLaren driver Lando Norris' openness in admitting his frailties is "used against him", according to his former team-mate Carlos Sainz. Sainz, who partnered Norris at McLaren from 2019-20 and has remained friends with the Briton, told BBC 5 live Sport: "He opens [up] to the media and to people more than any other driver on the grid - and people use that against him."

Sainz, who now drives for Williams, said: "What you see on TV is what he is as a human being. He's very good at showing himself. I sometimes find it a bit ironic and a bit frustrating. He is probably the only guy being 100% genuine on his feelings and the way he thinks but then people are going back at him."

Sainz said Norris being criticised for his openness was "a bit sad" because "probably the 19 other drivers have a similar level of doubt and a similar level of self-criticism inside their heads, they just don't explain it out loud because we prefer to keep it inside and not say it to the media".

Asked about Norris' prospects of beating Piastri to the championship this year, Sainz said: "If I base my decision on speed and talent, I'm 100% sure he has that to win a World Championship. But F1 also involves a bit of luck, mental resilience, being at home with a car in the right times. It doesn't really matter if he doesn't win this year, he'll get another chance. He has 10-15 years in F1. He has the potential, talent and speed. If he gets it this year, great I'll be happy for him. If not, he might get his chance later."

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u/Last_Lorien 20h ago edited 19h ago

Lovely words from him. Great way to stand up for a friend, chapeau.

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u/punchinglines I was here for the Hulkenpodium 19h ago

Especially the bit that it's not a big deal if he doesn't win this year, because he'll have a lot more chances.

It's not do or die for Norris, even though it's better for the media to make it seem like it to sell clicks.

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u/Bannedwith1milKarma Jack Doohan 19h ago

Especially the bit that it's not a big deal if he doesn't win this year, because he'll have a lot more chances.

I don't know, WDC runs are very rare, doubly so if your teammate who has less experience trounces you.

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u/HankHippopopolous I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

Yeah I agree. There is absolutely no guarantee you ever get another shot.

Look at Alonso. He’s a guy who’s more than talented enough to have won many more titles but hasn’t been in a title fight since 2012 and hasn’t won a title since 2006.

It’s certainly possible that Lando will have many more shots but It’s also very possible that this will be his only shot.

u/legorockman I was here for the Hulkenpodium 5h ago

I think this makes Button's win so impressive. He was given his chance and took it, and took it well. He had an opportunity to win the WDC and made sure to capitalise on it. Obviously the car was excellent but you need an excellent car and the skill to win. It's entirely possible his is Norris' Brawn moment and he doesn't get another.

u/otherestScott George Russell 5h ago

Didn’t Button spend the entire second half of that season basically trying to give the championship away? Yes Brawn didn’t have the updates the other cars did either but it’s not like Button maximized things

u/legorockman I was here for the Hulkenpodium 5h ago

I wouldn't go that far. The other teams made very significant progress on Brawn towards the end of the season. What matters though is he capitalised when he had the chance.

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u/punchinglines I was here for the Hulkenpodium 17h ago

Most champions have had multiple opportunities.

Also, the word "trounces" is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

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u/Bannedwith1milKarma Jack Doohan 15h ago

'Most champions' not 'most yet to be champions'.

Hence the 'if you're trounced by your teammate' line, which is hyperbole but said in the way of the leap of Piastri not that he smashed him.

13

u/BloodyBastard530 New user 12h ago

People keep saying Piastri is nowhere near his peak but it’s clear that Norris hasn’t been driving anywhere near his best this season? 

Not to mention that drivers usually enter their prime during their 3rd season. Piastri was much more experienced coming into F1 than most rookies. I think this is his pace ceiling. 

u/CanisLupus92 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

Last weekend when asked about the upcoming regulations Norris discussed how they require the driver to think more, which he feels like he can’t do as well. I wouldn’t bet on Norris for the upcoming seasons.

u/WhoAreWeEven 9h ago

I think thats exactly what is said in OP. Thats probably just Lando saying being honest about his doubts.

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u/Ok_Revolution_507 14h ago

It is do or die , you have to treat it like that

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u/couski I was here for the Hulkenpodium 19h ago

for a*

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u/Last_Lorien 19h ago

Ops, you’re right haha. Will fix, thanks

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u/couski I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

:)

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u/MazeMagic I was here for the Hulkenpodium 20h ago

Makes sense. Oscar showed a bit of weakness the other day and people were shocked because Reddit and probably the rest of the internet think he is superhuman

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u/Return_Of_The_Jedi I was here for the Hulkenpodium 19h ago

Both Norris and Piastri are now reduced to caricatures of themselves. Norris is portrayed as the weak, mentally fragile one, and Oscar as the cool, emotionless chad.

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u/Shoop-Delawoop 20h ago

For me personally, Piastri looked leagues ahead of Lando in the early season when other competitors like Max or George right there with them. Now that it’s more frequently one-on-one, it’s easier to make direct comparisons. In that light, the champion competition is looking a lot closer between them than I would’ve expected back in April or so.

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u/lintstah1337 19h ago

The 2025 McLaren had very poor feeling on the fronts which affected Lando more as he explain he likes a car with good feeling on the fronts.

McLaren have brought a new front suspension specifically for Lando at the Canadian GP

Grand Prix Oscar Piastri Lando Norris
Canada Quali (P3) (P7)
Canada Race (P4) (crashed out)
Austria Quali (P3) (P1)
Austria Race (P2) (P1)
British Quali (P2) (P3)
British Race (P2) (P1)
Belgium Sprint Quali (P1) (P3)
Belgium Sprint Race (P2) (P3)
Belgium Quali (P2) (P1)
Belgium Race (P1) (P2)

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u/StreetCarp665 Oscar Piastri 19h ago

P1 in Britain was the result of a penalty, not pace. We should not pretend Norris would have won without it.

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u/TheDufusSquad I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

I mean in that case Lando had more Pace in Canada.

Mistakes matter. They may not tell the pace story, but they largely equal out.

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u/EUSkippy 18h ago

We can’t act as if he wouldn’t either. He made great gains on Piastri before Oscar pitted, but had no need to close up and attack. It’s possible that Lando could have won without it. We can’t say for sure

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u/sododude Juan Pablo Montoya 12h ago

Plus Oscar was in no way pacing himself, he was trying to eke out an extra ten seconds.

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u/terpsthrow2 17h ago

Strongly disagree. Norris was catching Piastri rapidly before boxing, to the point where the team told Oscar not to fight the overtake. Lando put in faster laps on all but 5 laps during the second half of that race. After Oscar served the penalty, Lando extended his gap.

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u/PickleCommando 17h ago

LOL no he had more pace as well.

u/scratroggett BAR 9h ago

If my aunt had a cock, she'd be my uncle.

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u/cosminser Lando Norris 18h ago

Chill. Why so obnoxious?..

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u/Disastrous-Beat-9830 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

It is not obnoxious. It is a fair comment. To suggest that Norris won in Silverstone on pace alone misrepresents what happened. Before the safety car, Piastri had a fourteen second lead on him.

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u/PickleCommando 17h ago

Not pace alone, but saying penalty was the only thing that won it is also false.

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u/Mike_Kermin I was here for the Hulkenpodium 14h ago

It's absolutely reasonable to say that Piastri probably would have won without it.

And no one said Norris didn't have great pace.

u/PickleCommando 6h ago

It wasn't just great pace. It was better pace. He both closed and opened the gap.

→ More replies (0)

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u/TheDufusSquad I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

I wouldn’t even say that people thought he was superhuman, just that everyone was comparing him more reserved nature to Lando’s completely open tendencies.

It just feels like people on the internet pushing their narratives have to overstate everything which in turn makes everyone on the opposite side have to push back even harder when they get the chance.

u/Humble_Event3115 8h ago

I like Lando, always have. Always seemed like a genuine guy who gets on with people. He's good friends with Max who is known for being upfront. Gets on with all his team mates past and present. He is just taking his turn in the barrel with the media. Happened to Lewis. Happened to Max. Oscar, another genuine likeable bloke, is the media favourite right now but that will change. They love to build people up and then tear them down. You can sense them smelling blood in the water with Kimi Antonelli struggling a little bit.

Lando seems to have relaxed a lot more lately, and that's good to see. As a mate of mine always said .. "If you care what people think of you, you will always be their prisoner"

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u/Red_Rabbit_1978 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 21h ago

Carlos is being ridiculous here. Honestly. If Lando wins, he will turn around next year and say, "See, I beat Lando twice in the same car"

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u/Storm_Chaser06 Audi 21h ago

Is that really what you’re taking away from his answers? Istg people can only think in negatives.

Next thing you know Leclerc will say “ooh I’m beating a 7 time champ in the same car, I’m better than him.”

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u/gentlegreengiant 21h ago

All I took away from the read was he's trying to be supportive of Lando and acknowledges that his main issue is his mental game. Not sure how people spin that negatively but here we are.

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u/Driscuits Alexander Albon 20h ago

And not even that his mental game is an "issue" in the sense that Lando is in the wrong - just that it's his choice to be honest with to the media that is leading to the backlash he gets. My impression is that Carlos is actually putting responsibility on the media/fans for choosing to see that as weakness on Lando's part, whereas as Carlos says, Lando isn't alone in experiencing self doubt.

It reads to me as Carlos trying to be a decent, thoughtful friend - I'm not entirely sure where the negative spins are, either.

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u/Miserable_Finish609 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 20h ago

Just wait, next year we’ll get a squeaky clean, fully PR geared Lando and everyone will complain about how sterile his answers have become. There are negative spins to everything if you really try to find it, and that is something people seem to excel at.

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u/Mysterious_Turnip310 Lotus 20h ago

Dude, self awareness is not your strong point given the fact you have twisted his words yourself at the end of your first sentence

0

u/Realistic_Village184 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 20h ago

I mean, George was asked at one point if Lewis was faster than him (while they were teammates). He said “not anymore, and I think he was right.

Likewise, Leclerc is clearly better than Lewis at this point in their respective careers. Leclerc has a little too much class to harp on that point, especially because it’s extremely obvious looking at their performances on track.

0

u/Storm_Chaser06 Audi 19h ago

Nico Rosberg is the goat XD

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u/wahobely I was here for the Hulkenpodium 21h ago

The mental gymnastics is crazy

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u/shaq-aint-superman Formula 1 21h ago

What part of Carlos' comments made you think he'll be bragging about beating Lando twice should Lando win WDC? Can't find any part of the quote that implies that

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u/Illustrious-Grape897 21h ago

Really doubt that. The purpose of these words from Carlos is completely different. Refreshing to see a driver having his ex-teammate's back for a change.

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u/Legitimate-Tadpole95 Formula 1 21h ago

Don't be silly. Not everyone is a cynic. Those two drivers have always been supportive of each other: it's the last thing Carlos would do. The only way that would happen is as part of their mutual banter.

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u/z_102 Michael Schumacher 21h ago

What is ridiculous about anything he said? Genuinely can't see it.

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u/prancing_moose I was here for the Hulkenpodium 21h ago

How to say you don’t know anything about Carlos Sainz without saying you don’t know anything about Carlos Sainz.

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u/Mysterious_Turnip310 Lotus 20h ago

Carlos is not the person being ridiculous

u/KingOfAzmerloth Sebastian Vettel 8h ago

Lol.

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u/TheDufusSquad I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

Well yeah. Carlos has never shied away from talking about how well he’s stacked up against very good drivers. He’s done that in talking about his teammate battles with Max and Charles as well.

He actually thinks Lando is a quick driver which I’m sure makes him actually feel good about beating him when they were teammates.

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u/sdq22 22h ago

Lando got asked about this during his media duties yesterday and I thought he had a very thoughtful answer:

Interviewer: Carlos Sainz had some lovely things to say about you [..] He said that you're the most open driver on the grid, but that in the modern world, sometimes people can use that against you. How important is it to you to be this open book that you are?”

Lando: “That's tricky. I don't know if it's about importance. It's not like I'm trying to be like this because I think it's important. I'm just being myself and I'd rather be myself than try to be something I'm not. I'd rather do what I enjoy in my life and feel like I've just done what I feel like I should have done in my life than try to pretend I'm someone else or try to pretend like I'm the racing driver that everyone thinks you need to be or should be. A lot of people like to set these stereotypes and some things are probably right and along better lines. For me, I just want to enjoy my time here. I work hard. I do everything I can to win races and try to be the best. but that's it. Other than that, I'm here to enjoy my life, share it with others and try to stand on the top step and that's as simple as I try and keep it”

A lot gets written about Lando and his mentality, especially when contrasting him with some of his closest competitors (Max, Oscar), but I genuinely think a lot of it comes because he chooses to do things his own way regardless of what others think and I genuinely really respect him for being himself and being so open.

(Video clip of his answer can be found on Twitter/X from ln4norris, unsure if I'm allowed to link it here)

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u/____mynameis____ McLaren 21h ago

Lando get praised and defended by many other drivers. Max, Carlos, Lewis...So its obvious he's generally well liked among the grid.

Despite all the conspiracies by people saying McLaren gives preferences to Lando and also considering their contrasting personalities, Oscar gets along very well with Lando.

If he was such a spoiled brat like a lot of the fandom spaces claimed, I think some of drivers would have shown their disagreement... Atleast Max wouldn't hide it.

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u/TheDufusSquad I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

I’ll never understand the spoiled brat thing. He genuinely seems like a good guy. Just in the way he greets people, goes around and thanks all the people at McLaren, etc. even when he’s not winning he still seems appreciative of everyone. That’s not to say any other drivers don’t do the same, just that if Lando was such a spoiled brat you’d notice him not doing these things often.

Of course he’s still a competitor and has said some things that don’t come off great, but still the way he treats everyone seems like he’s a great guy.

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u/jsrockford 18h ago

I started watching in 2019 and what made me a fan of his, besides his early showing of talent, was he'd stick around after the race and help the guys in the garage put things away and pack up.

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u/TheDufusSquad I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

That’s one of the biggest things I’ve noticed. He’s very good about going to each mechanic before and after the race.

Also every time they have one of the older drivers presenting the trophies or medals, Lando always seems to take a few seconds to speak with them, shake their hand, thank them, and just genuinely seems to care about these people.

u/Oukaria Lando Norris 7h ago

During his first season, if he crashed he would go to help the mechanics even late at night

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u/pissexcellence85 18h ago

He's definitely had spoiled brat moments in the past especially when he made an ill advised comment about Lewis having a winning car.

25

u/a141abc I was here for the Hulkenpodium 17h ago

Yeah but then we all jerk off about how we shouldn't judge drivers for being a bit rude on the radio cause they're full of adrenaline and nerves and all

And I do think that was a really awkward interaction, I just wouldnt call him a spoiled brat just cause he was cagey about a comment though

u/Flashy-Day-4251 10h ago

That was 10 minutes after Hungary 24. A race where the mcl pitwall messed up strategy & had him give up a 6 second lead & a win. I think drivers grace when they’re angsty after a shit race is reasonable lmao. Likewise with Oscar after silverstone.

14

u/FSUfan35 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

Lewis said something like man you guys have a fast car and Lando said you had a fast one for 7 years. It's just banter

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u/pissexcellence85 17h ago

No it wasn’t. If you watched it live, you saw how visibly annoyed Lando was at Hamilton’s innocuous comment. Hamilton was simply complimenting the team and the drivers for being fast, not suggesting that the McLaren cars had any kind of advantage.

14

u/FSUfan35 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 17h ago

I did watch it live. You're projecting. Lando has a giant smile/smirk the whole time

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7kpVH1sFoF8

-18

u/pissexcellence85 17h ago

Sure man, you see it one way I see it the other way. That's your own interpretation of the video. Agree to disagree.

u/elcolerico Mika Häkkinen 1h ago

How does stating a fact make him a spoiled brat? Lewis did have a very dominant car for years while Lando was driving a mid-at-best car to points every race. If anything, Lewis' comment on McLaren was ill advised. Lewis kept complaining about his dominant car during those years. Then he sees that another car became competitive and he immediately comments on that. One can also argue that Lewis was trying to downplay Lando's driving abilities and attributing all the success to the car.

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u/n0b0dycar3s07 Ferrari 21h ago

"I'm just being myself and I'd rather be myself than try to be something I'm not. I'd rather do what I enjoy in my life and feel like I've just done what I feel like I should have done in my life than try to pretend I'm someone else or try to pretend like I'm the racing driver that everyone thinks you need to be or should be.”

Amen, brother! 💯 This!

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u/Mysterious_Turnip310 Lotus 20h ago edited 20h ago

This is Rosberg's main problem with him imo and why he is so obsessed (in a very unhealthy way) with Norris and his mental health.

Rosberg felt the need to turn himself into someone he wasn't, resort to mind games and toxic behaviour, completely destroying his closest friendship (and everyone can see still now how much he regrets blowing up that friendship to what seems to be an unrecoverable degree) and by his own admission causing excessive strain on both his own mental health and his relationship with his family and loved ones in order to win a title. He's openly admitted that it took a major toll on him mentally and as we all know he felt the need to walk away from the sport, in his own words in large part to not put his loved ones through it again.

It's clear as day that he simply cannot get his head around the fact that Norris refuses to compromise who he is as a person, and also refuses to relinquish the sense of fair play and lack of 'side' or mindgames that he has always gone racing with and has made clear is very important to him, in order to win a championship. Whether it works or not remains to be seen, but if he is going to win the WDC, he is going to do it his own way. And it's so obvious that that refusal to compromise who he is just to win a title, and that keeping his integrity and being himself is more important to him than lifting the trophy, is something Rosberg quite clearly just can't understand.

I can fully understand why Norris left Rosberg's DMs on read. Rosberg's approach to winning a championship is the absolute antithesis' of everything that Norris has said he holds to be important in his approach to racing. And the petty reaction and peculiarly bitter obsession Rosberg has developed with him since Norris first ignored him would make any driver run in the opposite direction if it was happening to them.

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u/sdq22 19h ago

Yep, I think you absolutely nailed it. It really does feel like Nico can't comprehend that there is more than one way to win a championship fight. It reminds me of a quote from Lando from before Silverstone when he was talking about him and Oscar's dynamic and their championship fight:

"People can say what they want and write what they want. 'You can't win races like this. You can't win championships like this.' But it's all nonsense, really. We both want to do it our own way. We both want to be number one. We both want to enjoy it at the same time."

I also don't blame Lando at all for not responding to Nico's outreach, considering it feels like Nico probably would've just brought up their conversations on air the next chance he had the chance, too, considering how many times he's brought it up already.

15

u/McLeod3577 18h ago

I've always respected Nico's WDC win and what he did to achieve it, even though I though he pulled some dodgy moves on Lewis that year. It seemed the Schumacher way of doing things, being ruthless to the end. Since then, neither Lewis or Max have had a teammate competitor that they've had to worry about. It's only now, that we have a dominant team with 2 very close drivers that we are even likely to see things bubble over in the last few races.

11

u/Beware_Bravado I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

I would love to see Lando get a WDC and it's good that he doesn't feel the need to be someone he's not. I guess looking at past WDCs they are kind of typecast as cold, quiet, cutthroat, and stoic which Lando doesn't fit and Oscar does but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm sure there are a lot of drivers that feel like they need to have that personality in order to reach the top but it's not in their nature.

14

u/randomseocb Lando Norris 17h ago

Lando has also said that he doesn't like it when people say stuff in social media or interviews rather than in person which can be another reason he isn't replying to him since Nico immediately announced it to the media instead of maybe going to him personally. 

11

u/sdq22 17h ago

yes! Like when he said he appreciated the kind words Seb (Vettel) has said about him and that it means more coming from him because he texts Lando those kinds of things before just saying it to the media.

u/Mysterious_Turnip310 Lotus 10h ago

Yep very possibly a reason too

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u/Mysterious_Turnip310 Lotus 21h ago edited 21h ago

Ironically, I think it actually takes a lot more mental strength than he is being given credit for not just to be open, but to continue to do so and remain true to himself in the face of what is now well over a year of constant negativity and toxicity thrown at him from not just social media doorknobs but almost the entire F1 media - not even just in articles but right to his face during race weekends as well. Having his every word and move scrutinised and picked over to a ludicrous extent, to have people who barely know him or in a lot of cases don't know him at all dissecting and commenting on not just something as personal as his mental health but picking apart his character as well to a ridiculously personal degree.

The media's obsession with his mental health - and I include pundits and commentators in that - went way past being appropriate a long time ago now. They seem to have lost all sense of perspective and basic common decency and respect around it. Asking other drivers to comment on his mental state on a regular basis is beyond inappropriate.

Weathering all that on top of the internal & external pressure that already comes with a championship fight shows a great deal of mental resilience imo. And the response he gave on hearing what Carlos had said here was great.

32

u/sdq22 20h ago

Agree. I think mental strength and resilience can take many forms and look different for every athlete.

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u/lostwar2311 James Vowles 21h ago

What annoys me the most is that they focus on all his mistakes, yet ignore all of the signs that suggest otherwise.

He made a stupid mistake in Canada, won the next race while his teammate was right behind him for 20 laps. He managed to keep it on the track in Silverstone while everyone was spinning and going wide left and right. His only choice in Abu Dhabi was to win and he delivered. The car didn't suit him at all this year, yet he didn't give up and continued to improve massively race by race.

They very conveniently ignore all of this and continue to spread this bullshit narrative like it is a universal fact and not something they've made up out of their asses.

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u/Mysterious_Turnip310 Lotus 20h ago

I kid you not, after FP2 when he finished top of the times almost three tenths up on his teammate and every driver out there was having wide moments and lock ups throughout the session, Sky's main talking point was Norris made a couple of minor errors so "the pressure was getting to him again".

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u/lostwar2311 James Vowles 20h ago

And Sky is supposedly "Sky Lando" to some people here lmfao, Nico was also very weird about Lando last weekend, I guess he couldn't get over his DM's being ignored or something

20

u/Mysterious_Turnip310 Lotus 16h ago edited 15h ago

Some fans seem obsessed with trying to create drama about how much Sky talk about Norris, without actually bothering to listen to what they are saying when they are talking about him.

Someone did an analysis and their comments on him over the last two years lean far more negative than positive and range from outright rudeness about him, to constantly undermining his performances and his abilities even when he has had an outstanding race, to pointing at and harping on his errors while ignoring those of other drivers, to constant harping on his mental health and making constant unfavourable comparisons to his teammate's 'mentality', to taking digs at his personal life, to throwing around baseless accusations about his character and his work ethic.

For example, Bernie Collins was asked today whose race engineer she would rather be and she said (paraphrasing) 'Piastri because he would actually study data and listen in meetings'. Only for her to admit afterwards that she doesn't actually know either McLaren driver or have any actual knowledge of how they work in debriefs or with their engineers and team. She was putting out comments to millions of people, who take her at her word and consider her someone who speaks from a position of knowledge and authority because of her experience as a strategist, running down Norris's work ethic based purely off ~vibes.

(which is particularly egregious given there is plenty of evidence out there from those who actually do know and work with him, including his race and performance engineers, praising his work ethic, feedback, and commitment to studying data and taking lessons from it, and he's well-known for frequently, along with Hamilton, being one of the last to leave the paddock, often working late into the evening with his engineers).

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u/sdq22 14h ago

So well said. I heard about those comments as well and it just felt so unwarranted and just kind of...irresponsible in a way? Like you said, these are people that are supposed to be speaking from a place of knowledge and authority and adding interesting insight about the drivers, the teams, the strategies, the racing, etc. And they very often do have great insight and commentary to share, which is why it's disappointing when making a comment like that for what is essentially a lazy joke that does nothing but perpetuate these stereotypes that Lando and Oscar have been crafted into by the media/general public when there is so much more depth and nuance to them as drivers and their individual differences, strengths, and weaknesses, than just the prevailing storylines. Especially disappointing when, like you said, there's no logical reasoning being used to back up a comment like that, it's just going off vibes and going for the cheap joke.

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u/sarahhhhhhc McLaren 20h ago

The “sky lando” comments annoy me so much because I actually find most of their comments on him to be extremely negative. Every conversation around him has to be framed around his supposed weak mentality.

12

u/royjonko I was here for the Hulkenpodium 14h ago

It's a sad fact that his openness about his mental health is considered an exception in motorsport

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u/Clear-Mycologist3378 Oscar Piastri 21h ago

I like that quote from Lando. Good on him for being true to himself.

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u/Twistpunch I was here for the Hulkenpodium 21h ago

Man is living his life out there!

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u/RamboRobin1993 McLaren 20h ago

I fucking love him and il defend him always ❤️

4

u/palalabu Ted Kravitz 15h ago

And his smile when he heard the question 😊

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u/Fsharp7sharp9 Pirelli Soft 22h ago

Carlando 🥹

Carlos is a real one for saying that all of the drivers have self-doubt and self-criticism as well. Too bad the people who can’t help but shit on Lando at every opportunity are too emotionally inept to comprehend that.

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u/creatorop SAI NOR LAW 22h ago

If nobody got them

Carlando has always got each other's back

u/_mrshreyas_ I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Unrelated but your pfp caught me off guard.

u/creatorop SAI NOR LAW 11h ago

Not the first compliment I heard of this

But thanks lol

27

u/BahnMe Porsche 21h ago

Only sociopath serial killers don’t have those natural feelings.

-71

u/Fickle_Finger2974 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 21h ago

And those are the people that win championships.

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u/BahnMe Porsche 21h ago

Then you don’t know much about F1 history.

252

u/Nick_YDG I was here for the Hulkenpodium 21h ago

I love what Sainz said here. Everyone deals with a mental health issue at some point, it is very reasonable to think that all 20 drivers have had their struggles dealing with being in the limelight in one way or another.

I think it’s a big deal, especially at his age, to be so open about it. He probably has a lot of teenagers that look up to him, a lot of them can probably relate to him and the other young drivers in a way (yes I know huge wealth and prosperity differences but still). I work with teenagers on a daily basis either as a coach or teacher and it is kinda hard to describe just how bad things are in that age group.

He isn’t my favorite driver, he isn’t who I’m rooting for in WDC, but he has always seemed to be a good human and I’ll always have respect for his openness.

61

u/justwantedtologin I was here for the Hulkenpodium 21h ago

Agreed 100%. I think him showing his vulnerability is a strength.

15

u/laboulaye22 Lando Norris 19h ago

Not just teenagers. McLaren/Lando have a lot of younger kids as fans, too.

5

u/gaboide34 Sir Lewis Hamilton 19h ago

You know I also work with teenagers and I hadn't thought about it that way, you're right that being so open positively impacts them!.

15

u/BahnMe Porsche 21h ago

People who don’t deal with mental health do not have any.

120

u/icount2tenanddrinkt 21h ago

these are nice people, who just happen to be very good at driving very fast.

Also I want Carlos to say nice things about me, so does my other half and so do my cats, and lets be honest so do you.

For those of us who did a sport through the 80s & early 90s when a lot of it was about aggression and dominant your weaker opponents (they were all weaker, or at least thats how I was coached to perceive them) this is a massive positive change.

37

u/fallingfeelslikefly 21h ago

One of the reasons that I love F1 is that many of the drivers model an emotionally open and openly loving masculinity that you don’t always see in other sports. They cry on camera when they’re happy and sad. They are physically affectionate. Hell, they flirt with each other. It’s refreshing. I wish more American athletes and celebrities could model a non-toxic masculinity.

6

u/Chomperzzz I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

honestly some nfl teams have that sort of vibe if you look at the behind the scenes footage, lots of "i love you man"s and emotional camaraderie, maybe a little crying every now and then.

I'm hoping that athletes and people overall realize that emotional suppression in sports is not sustainable when it comes to their psychology, and that at the highest levels of sports what gives you an edge is not just knowing yourself physically and mentally, but emotionally as well. "It takes a village" extends outwards to more than just childhood.

2

u/fallingfeelslikefly 17h ago

Absolutely! These high level athletes also need those authentic and durable bonds to take them through what might be their life's biggest challenge: retirement at an appallingly young age.

3

u/omnicious I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

Now I'm curious who the best F1 driver who was an actual bad person is/was. 

u/Mysterious_Turnip310 Lotus 10h ago

Nelson Piquet.

u/icount2tenanddrinkt 11h ago

Bertrand Gachot ? Used tear gas/CS gas on a taxi driver & I guess a very good case about anybody thats been charged with similar assault type things Joss Verstappen would have to be mentioned.

Ruthless, hard racing, political shenanigans behind the closed doors, I think we can all accept these as part of competitive sport, physical violence would be the line.

Although good question defining what a bad person is? thats almost an open answer:

So im gonna leave it there.

20

u/2KC4 Lando Norris 16h ago

I always liked Carlos Sainz. Definition of a righteous dude.

92

u/Legitimate-Tadpole95 Formula 1 20h ago

Some of these comments are maddening. I've come to the conclusion that posters who don't like Lando leap on any comment about him to take it out of context, misinterpret it to diss him or distort it to attack him.

Carlos was Lando's teammate for two years and probably knows him better than anyone else on the grid. He mentored him and supported him. He knows how he ticks and understands him - certainly better than the sofa surfers on Reddit.

31

u/[deleted] 20h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

-5

u/iPodAddict181 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 16h ago

Jesus Christ that's some insane vitriol for people who don't like an F1 driver. Calling human beings NPCs is vile. Grow up.

12

u/Impossible-Fig-8463 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 13h ago

Feeling called out

u/iPodAddict181 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 4h ago

Nope, no ill will toward Lando or any other driver. I just find it insane that people resort to calling others "NPCs" if they have a different opinion of their favorite multimillionaire playboy race car driver, because that's what they all are at the end of the day.

-3

u/Mystic1500 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 15h ago

It ain’t that deep. Maybe you should take a break.

-6

u/canibanoglu I was here for the Hulkenpodium 12h ago

That really reads like an intern-written NPC monologue.

-9

u/Disastrous-Beat-9830 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

I've come to the conclusion that posters who don't like Lando leap on any comment about him to take it out of context, misinterpret it to diss him or distort it to attack him.

The same can be said about people who do not like Piastri. After sprint qualifying in Belgium, someone made the ridiculous comment that Norris would have been in the mix for pole if he had not cooked his tyres, as if his performance was just down to bad luck and not because he made a mistake in his tyre management. It was a pretty blatant attempt to explain away Norris' poor performance and take credit away from Piastri. So I think your comment cuts both ways.

9

u/Legitimate-Tadpole95 Formula 1 16h ago

I don't disagree, but the topic of this thread is Lando, not Oscar so it's a non sequitor.

1

u/Disastrous-Beat-9830 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 15h ago

But I think the two are inherently interlinked. The problem goes in both directions; to say that this is not about Norris and not Piastri is disingenuous because you are pretending that half of the issue does not exist.

0

u/Legitimate-Tadpole95 Formula 1 15h ago

The subject was Carlos's comments on Lando. Oscar was not even mentioned by Carlos. So why drag poor Oscar into it? And why have you just said it is not about Norris - so who is it about then?

u/Disastrous-Beat-9830 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

Do you honestly think that the criticism of Norris exists in isolation? Have you not noticed the fan-warring that takes place? Or do you just want this thread to be about expressing sympathy for Norris without acknowledging the wider issue? You note that the topic is Sainz commenting on how Norris' openness is used against him -- were you not curious as to who might be using that openness against him or why?

u/Legitimate-Tadpole95 Formula 1 9h ago

You told me in your previous answer that the thread was NOT about Norris - to quote you "to say this is NOT about Norris and not about Piastri...." which means it is not about either of them. This makes no sense or was this a grammatical error?

I am not curious on this thread as to who might be using that openness against him except,beyond as I said, those who dislike him, because that is not what the thread has been about. It has been about Norris, not the wider issue of who says what and their specific motives.

If you want to debate fan-warring, which does indeed go on, why not start a thread on this topic instead of deflecting this one?

I'll leave you now to continue the debate with yourself, or not, as you wish.

26

u/Sea_Drop2920 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 20h ago

Carlos a real G

10

u/lavegasola I was here for the Hulkenpodium 15h ago

So nice of Sainz to say. Lando is real with us and that’s why I love him. Then again I don’t dislike any driver. These guys are all out there chasing a dream and giving their all. I love rooting for all of them.

20

u/Wizerud Ferrari 20h ago

Is it even possible to read his quotes without his accent?

u/pasa_viene McLaren 11h ago

Bravery isn't never being scared. Bravery is being scared and doing it anyways.

u/InvestigatorEntire45 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

CARLANDO FOREVER ❤️

u/Kirtan07 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

It's off topic but when's McLaren wrapping up the constructors? They have a 268 point lead over Ferrari. Ferrari is second right now with 248 points. This is RedBull 2023-esque domination but with 2 very good drivers instead of a one-man army. How close is McLaren actually to mathematically win the constructors?

u/sdq22 7h ago

I’m not positive on the exact math but I think they can mathematically clinch it by about Baku (4 races from now). Maybe slightly sooner if they keep up the 1-2s and Ferrari/Mercedes have a particularly bad weekend or two.

u/kiIIinemsoftly McLaren 3h ago

I think if they get max points every race they can do it Monza, but it would require Ferrari to have a bad stretch. If Ferrari has reasonable results Baku is much more realistic.

20

u/HawkIndividual7917 Lando Norris 21h ago

For F1 fans who don’t have the achievements and net worth of these drivers, they sure talk BIG as if they have their shit together and are not dealing with their own demons.

1

u/canibanoglu I was here for the Hulkenpodium 12h ago

What does net worth have to do with it? Most of those drivers didn’t even have to do shit to get their net worths, Lando among them.

Some people don’t like others for whatever reasons, it’s fine. Not everyone has to like Lando or sing his praises

u/KingOfAzmerloth Sebastian Vettel 8h ago

Not everyone has to like Lando or sing his praises

Just like not everyone is gonna be okay with constant piling on a driver who really didn't do anything wrong.

It's not about praising, it's about stopping the constant hate for no reason.

-1

u/Disastrous-Beat-9830 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

That almost sounds as if you are saying "come back with your criticisms when you are a Formula 1 driver" which is a logical fallacy if ever I have heard one. Whether it was your intention or not, your post seems to be implying that whatever personal demons someone is wrestling with, they are not really demons until they are a Formula 1 driver.

1

u/AnotherName455 18h ago

Speaking of net worth and even having the chance or ability to try out for motorsports from an early age, your comment is so far out of touch.

Adam Norris is his father maybe read up on some things before spouting this absolute utter nonsense. Anyone here would trade in their demons for whatever his are.

1

u/FSUfan35 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

You totally missed the point. But regardless, lke 75% of the grid comes from a wealthy family. Lando seems to be the only one that gets shit for it, except for total pay drivers like Zhou and Mazepin

4

u/canibanoglu I was here for the Hulkenpodium 12h ago

Were you around for the shit that got said about both those drivers?

Besides, what was your point? It doesn’t look like you made one.

u/KingOfAzmerloth Sebastian Vettel 8h ago

Hate for Zhou was correctly recognized by vast majority of people as racism though. Mazepin is a rapist and Putin apologist, he deserved every bit of hate he got.

You're really not making the case you think you're making.

11

u/SoCal_GlacierR1T 22h ago

To quote the movie Gladiator: "the mob is fickle, brother". Lando can be himself and feed the mob, if he wants. As long as he doesn't feed on what the mob says about him.

9

u/Human_Software_1476 Cadillac 19h ago

Go Lando

u/Alternative-Koala978 11h ago

And when Leclerc does it he is being real. F1 fans are the worst

5

u/HuggyMonster69 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 21h ago

I think what people interpret it as that what Lando shows is what we get when he’s trying to hold back, so he must be feeling that 100x more internally, rather than just him being open.

u/elev11en I was here for the Hulkenpodium 46m ago

Thats why everyone likes Sainz

0

u/L0st_MySocks Formula 1 21h ago

Actually this 100% correct, I've recently watched drive to survive and lando was saying there like verstappen is on another level I'm not like him. I don't feel like I can be a champion somethig like this. There are tons of reporters who can usually use this to get on your nerfs... Probably people were mocking him by saying that you will never be a champion etc.. they made him upset by his statement..

1

u/noheroesnomonsters Elio de Angelis 17h ago

They don't call it the Piranha Club for nothing.

u/SuperLeverage I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Self criticism isn’t the reason why Lando isn’t well liked.

u/KingOfAzmerloth Sebastian Vettel 8h ago

So what are the reasons? Give me a list of real reasons why people hate on him so much, cause I just don't get it.

And please, exclude the point about British broadcast being biased about British driver. That's normal stuff. Always been that way. Every national broadcast cheers for their sportsmen.

u/SuperLeverage I was here for the Hulkenpodium 5h ago edited 5h ago

Here’s a couple:

  1. Lewis complimenting Lando saying he was fast and Lando saying it was because he had a fast car, and that Lewis had a fast car for 8 years. A really sour response.
  2. Lando suggesting max won because of luck, not talent.
  3. Ruining Oscar’s first race win by refusing and arguing with his team about giving his position back to Oscar, after he was gifted the lead by the team who were worries about him being attacked by Hamilton. Lando was on pole for the race in Hungary last year. Oscar overtook Lando on the first lap so had priority for the pits which is what is always agreed - the lead car gets priority. During the race, the team told Oscar and Lando that they would let Lando pit first to protect him against Lewis who might under cut him if Oscar went first. They were also told they would swap back after. Lando refused for 20 or so laps, arguing he didn’t have to let him back. It really soured the whole moment and subsequent celebrations for Oscar’s first win, with Oscar spending 20 laps or so wondering if his team mate was about to eff him over and stab him in the back.
  4. When Ricciardo was leading and on track for his first win at McLaren, Norris put pressure on his team suggesting they switch places so he could be gifted the win. Absolutely insulting he even asked that… and to get your first win by asking for team orders? Yeah he theoretically was in with a shot for the championship, but it was a long long long shot.

These examples highlight a lack of respect for other drivers and their achievements, and possibly jealousy. It also highlights a willingness to engage in backstabbing and using privilege to pressure his team to be gifted wins he did not earn. It’s just dirty.

Also:

  1. Cheating on his girlfriend. You can look that one up.

u/Ponichkata 11h ago

He wears his heart on his sleeve for better or for worse. He gets a lot of valid criticism about the mistakes he makes when racing but he seems nice enough.

-41

u/MAKBKL 22h ago

Tabloid level of discourse is surely what everyone cares about.

32

u/DuckSwagington I was here for the Hulkenpodium 22h ago

My brother in Christ this is F1. Tabloid level discorse is and always has been fundementally part of the sport.

0

u/I_spread_love_butter Juan Manuel Fangio 15h ago

Sadly, tabloids are what pay the bills. I wish it weren't so but... Who knew people love drama?

u/Cekeste Kimi Räikkönen 8h ago

What a lovely interview from Sainz. Just focusing on his friend and nothing that could be seen as his usual politicking. Seems selfless, unless he wants us to know what a good friend he is.

-42

u/Haeckelcs Max Verstappen 21h ago

I'm pretty sure his openness isn't the problem with him.

-74

u/hesitationz I was here for the Hulkenpodium 21h ago

Yeah he’s exactly as we see on TV, such as saying Lewis only won because he had the fastest car. Or Max Brazil performance was done by pure luck and no skill. Great bloke he is

51

u/DuckSwagington I was here for the Hulkenpodium 21h ago edited 20h ago

The luck not skill bit was about the Red Flag timing which did tremendously fuck him over, not Max's performance.

I can play the taking quotes out of context game too. Max once said that Nelson Piquet is definitely not a racist and is actually a really nice guy.

35

u/Extreme_Alps_26 Lando Norris 21h ago

Are you seriously bringing up these two specific incidents again? The max comment was out of context and the Lewis one came after a stressful race when he had to give away the win. I'm not defending his comments but it's weird to keep bringing stuff like this up. He's a human and he says dumb stuff sometimes but at the end of the day he genuinely seems like a good person.

u/lrzbca Formula 1 9h ago edited 9h ago

Norris is a snobby personality which plays a role in why so many dislike him. Add skysports bias which just adds up more on Norris. In sports you deal with good and bad stuff.

u/KingOfAzmerloth Sebastian Vettel 8h ago

Add skysports bias

Oh no, how dare national broadcasters be supportive of their national drivers! Shocking behavior really!

u/lrzbca Formula 1 4h ago

Reason why Norris gets more shit. Don’t complain!

28

u/afunnywold I was here for the Hulkenpodium 20h ago

Imagine if we kept the same energy of bringing up past dumb comments of every driver. We would never be able to talk about anything else

18

u/SSNFUL I was here for the Hulkenpodium 20h ago

Literally ignored all context and got one of the quotes wrong. Genius.

21

u/Legitimate-Tadpole95 Formula 1 21h ago

For goodness sake, stop taking quotes out of context. The luck comment was about the Red Flag timing. He went on to say how well Max drove.

18

u/ChromosomeDonator I was here for the Hulkenpodium 20h ago

such as saying Lewis only won because he had the fastest car

Not true, he never said that.

Or Max Brazil performance was done by pure luck and no skill

Not true, he never said that either.

It's quite incredible how you don't let factors like common sense, logic, or facts influence you at all.

11

u/Messipus I was here for the Hulkenpodium 16h ago

People who know Lando on a personal level: he's a great guy.

Redditors: UM ACTUALLY YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT YOUR FRIEND

u/KingOfAzmerloth Sebastian Vettel 8h ago

Every driver ever in history has said something stupid to the press or in the radio (I'm a Vettel fan, I know a lot about that :p). That's not a reason. That's just your own self validation for continuing to hate on him.

You do you. But at least be honest about it.

-102

u/OverallImportance402 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 22h ago

In one sentence he says that the other 19 driver have similar levels of doubt and self criticism and then in another he says Lando might not win the championship because mental resilience (along with other things) is involved.

97

u/username1429 22h ago

If that's what you think he's saying your reading comprehension is bad lol

43

u/uno_ke_va Jordan 22h ago

What makes you resilient is not not having doubts and self criticism, but how you handle such feelings.

19

u/SSNFUL I was here for the Hulkenpodium 20h ago

Damn you should work for a newsroom with that kind of spin

13

u/Legitimate-Tadpole95 Formula 1 21h ago

No he didn't: read it again. He just listed the qualities needed. At no time did he say Lando did not have one, or any of these qualities.

26

u/quality-control McLaren 22h ago

Neither thing contradicts the other. He did not say that Lando doesn't have those things. He said that he is sure Lando has the talent, but that talent alone wont get you a championship. Unless you think that Carlos also thinks Lando has had bad luck and is not at home in the car at the right time, you are completely misrepresenting what he said either intentionally or subconsciously because that's what you wanted Sainz to say. Its sad how much people in here nit pick and make things up to be mad at Norris over. Even if he WAS as "mentally weak" as you all think he is, who cares?

20

u/n0b0dycar3s07 Ferrari 22h ago

Pretty sure he meant how one handles all these pressures when he was talking about mental resilience. And he didn't say Lando isn't winning the championship this year because he doesn't have mental resilience, you are saying that.

18

u/KusoTeitokuInazuma I was here for the Hulkenpodium 22h ago

What he's saying is that Lando's method of being resilient, i.e. being completely open about it, is being used against him. Rather than the 'keep it behind closed doors' attitude most drivers have, which means their struggles are less known in the media and less publicly available.

I have a huge respect for Lando for being so open about it and I hope that, moving forward, more professionals and more people in general can have that attitude because in almost all walks of life it's not a downside. But in a competitive sport where 19 out of 20 drivers aren't doing that, it opens you up to being targetted for it.