Nico Rosberg, the 2016 Formula 1 world champion, has advised Lando Norris to engage a mental coach to enhance his chances of winning the 2025 title. This suggestion comes as Norris trails his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri by 10 points in the current championship standings.
Although Norris remains a contender for the 2024 title, his season has been marked by inconsistency, especially during qualifying sessions where mistakes have been frequent. In contrast, Piastri has maintained the upper hand, securing five race wins compared to Norris’s two.
Qualifying Struggles and the Role of Mental Strength
Norris’ difficulties in qualifying have been significant this year, with Piastri out-qualifying him five times, an increase from the previous year. The Spanish Grand Prix was a notable low point for Norris, especially considering Piastri’s prior struggles at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya.
Rosberg, whose championship win included working closely with a sports psychologist, believes Norris would greatly benefit from similar mental coaching. He emphasized Norris’s visible lapses at Barcelona, where
“every corner [had] a little mistake,”
causing the driver to “run wide on the exit” and lose control throughout the lap.
On Sky Sports, Rosberg stated,
“I mean, wow! So what does he have to do? From my point of view, he needs to work on the mental side. We’re all spending hours and hours training our bodies, and I don’t know if Lando has a mental coach and if he works with a psychologist or not. He definitely should because there is so much value in working with one. It helped me so much to understand, to figure out the best possible approach.”
“In my championship year, two hours every two days leading up to the season in the spring was huge. It was more difficult than the actual physical training. It was insanely difficult but so extremely valuable.” —Nico Rosberg, 2016 F1 World Champion
Current Title Race Dynamics Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix
With only a 10-point gap, Piastri currently leads Norris as the McLaren teammates prepare for the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen’s chances for this season’s championship have diminished after finishing tenth in Barcelona due to a late-race penalty.
Verstappen originally crossed the line in fifth place but received a 10-second penalty following a collision with George Russell. Now, he faces the possibility of suspension if he accumulates another penalty point, as he has just one point remaining before potential race bans.
Two of Verstappen’s penalty points are set to expire by the end of this month, making his performance in Canada and Austria critical. He must avoid further incidents to stay in contention.
McLaren’s Performance amid Technical Changes
Despite regulatory changes implemented at the Barcelona Grand Prix, McLaren has continued to perform strongly. Their resilience was evident as they managed to hold off sustained pressure from Verstappen, who adopted an aggressive three-stop strategy during the Spanish race weekend.
McLaren’s ability to remain competitive under such conditions suggests they are well positioned to continue challenging for top honors as the season progresses.
