Lando Norris ‘struggles to eat’ before F1 races as McLaren star opens up in honest chat
Lando Norris has opened up candidly about his struggles during F1 race weekends.
Lando Norris has revealed that he 'struggles to eat and drink' before races due to nerves, despite having 119 Grand Prix starts under his belt.
The 24-year-old now finds himself fighting for a first Drivers' Championship title with Max Verstappen, and that opportunity comes with increased pressure and scrutiny.
Discussing the extra pressure that he faces, Norris said: "I don't think of it at all. I think there's always pressure. I still get so nervous for qualifying.
"Before the races, I still get just as excited and just as nervous. I barely eat anything on Sundays. I struggle to drink anything on Sundays, just because of nerves and because of pressure.
"But [it's] just how you turn that into a positive thing... you know, how do you not let it affect you in a bad way and how can you actually use it in a good way to help you focus on the correct things and so on.
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"But I'm sure I do now and probably will forever. You know, when you enter Q3 or any qualifying lap when you have to go out and deliver, it gives you butterflies every time because there is so much nerves, so much pressure, and you know that if you do one thing [wrong] or brake centimetres or a metre too late, or you turn in at the wrong time or whatever it is... finished, game over.
"And the knowledge of that just puts you under a very tense feeling, but also it's an amazing feeling at the same time that I don't think you can replicate in many other sports or many other things, I'm not too sure. But I still get nervous and I probably will forever get nervous."
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Norris knows that these nerves will only grow as this title fight intensifies. The Brit closed the gap from 78 points to 70 in Zandvoort and with McLaren making strong development gains, he will have plenty more opportunities to reign Verstappen in.
The next chance arrives this weekend in Monza and if team-mate Oscar Piastri can produce an improved performance then McLaren have the opportunity to score a one-two finish at the Italian Grand Prix.