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Lando Norris is one of the few Formula 1 drivers who speak openly about their struggle with mental health. He now explains why he chose to share his story.
Since Norris first set foot in Formula 1 in 2019, he has repeatedly struggled with mental health issues. For several years now, he has spoken openly about it. Norris wants to use it to help other people open up.
Norris and his team McLaren are working with the mental health charity Mind. Since the start of this collaboration, Norris has made several appearances on television shows. On “This Morning”, he talked about how mental health affected him in the early stages of his Formula 1 career.
Why did Norris choose this path?
Norris explained, according to British GQ magazine, that the TV appearances served as a platform for exchange and awareness.
“I didn’t need to do that.
“It was a choice [to speak about mental health], because I struggled quite a bit with it in 2019 and 2020.
“I just didn’t know how to deal with it.
“I kept all of it inside and it really hurt my self-belief and self-confidence, which got to an all-time low.”
Norris started to question his abilities.
“I doubted myself: ‘Am I good enough to be in Formula 1? Can I come back from this?'”
The reality of F1 drivers
Norris has worked with a mental health coach. He is now better able to deal with online hate and social media.
“You’re never going to please everyone.
“There are people that support you and people that don’t… I know I’m doing the best I can.
“A few people said that I had saved their life, that hits you pretty hard.”
Norris is using his popularity to raise awareness for mental health struggles (in high-performance sports), a cause well deserving of support.
Feature Image Credit: Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
