Lando Norris has praised McLaren for the manner in which it has assisted his development this year, and says working with a mind coach has also left him in a better place.
Norris stepped up to Formula 1 as the youngest racer in McLaren’s history, having taken titles in Formula 4, Formula 3 and the runner-up spot in Formula 2.
Norris has been a solid fixture in Formula 1’s closely-contested midfield battle, taking points courtesy of sixth in Bahrain and eighth in Azerbaijan.
“I think they’ve gone out of their way this year,” he said.
“Everyone within the team, from the mechanics to everyone in the factory, from what I’ve seen, not just because I’m the driver this year, but from what I’ve seen, it seems like they’ve put more effort or more work into trying to help me as a driver or the drivers to be more prepared, to be in a better situation going into every race.
“So having the support from everyone, the bosses, whoever, whoever within the team, definitely makes it much easier for me as a driver.
On mind management, Norris said: “It’s something I have worked on. I have someone I see to help with those situations, to put myself in a better place.
“So it’s definitely something I’ve already worked on and will continue to work on. But at the same time, it’s something that will also just come naturally with having more races and having results like I have done.
“And obviously as well, people telling me if I’ve done a good or a bad job.”
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has had an affiliation with Norris for several years and praised the manner in which the Briton has developed, without undergoing a negative personality change.
“Lando has matured a lot,” commented Brown. “He is 19 years old and he is very calm.
“One of the many things that had impressed us the first time we went into FP1 and now here he is in a Formula 1 car, the big time, and he wasn’t really any different from when I saw him on a Formula Renault grid. He wasn’t fazed. He is humble and he is confident and he knows he is learning.
“He admits where he might not know something and can improve so what you see is what you get in his personality. He is gaining confidence in and out of the race car so it is quite exciting to work with him.”
