Norris insists he wants to win F1 title “by being a nice guy”

Lando Norris says he is able to declare the System 1 title – however he’s decided to do it on his personal phrases “by being a pleasant man”.

The 25-year-old has lengthy been depicted because the calm, mild-mannered counterpoint to reigning four-time champion Max Verstappen’s fiery persona.

“I really feel like there’s a very prescribed model of how individuals say a world champion must be – overly aggressive,” Norris advised the Guardian in what seemed to be a thinly-veiled reference to the Purple Bull driver.

“I’d quite simply be a very good individual and attempt to do nicely. I’ll do no matter I can to win a championship however possibly I received’t sacrifice in my life … or have the ‘f**ok you’ mentality individuals say you’ve acquired to have.

“I nonetheless consider I generally is a world champion however doing it by being a pleasant man.”

The McLaren ace mentioned he might “simply” fake to be minimize from the identical fabric as a few of his rivals, however that will be inauthentic.

“I don’t have as a lot of a killer intuition as in all probability a lot of the drivers or most champions as a result of I used to be simply not introduced up that means,” he defined.

“I can go and fake I’ve acquired a killer intuition and act like a little bit of a d**ok which may give those who notion … however there are specific issues I’d not try this different champions have finished.”

Actually, Norris says he’s on a mission to show he can win the title whereas nonetheless “having fun with life”, each on and off the observe: “I don’t wish to be pushed round and I additionally by no means wish to be seen as giving issues up as a result of I’m too good.

“I’ll nonetheless struggle for issues and I’ll nonetheless take dangers and I’ll nonetheless do no matter I do know I can do to be a world champion however with out shedding the freedom of who I’m.”

Elsewhere within the interview, Norris candidly mentioned his struggles with psychological well being, significantly within the early years of his profession.

“After I had the destructive ideas of every part and about my very own performances, then I’d begin to suppose negatively in regards to the subsequent weekend when it’s not even arrived but,” he recalled.

“It was seen to see on the surface how destructive I used to be and I nonetheless am. I’m nonetheless the type of man that may say: ‘I did a s**t job at this time and I did horrible and I wasn’t adequate.’ Not many different individuals will in all probability admit to these type of issues however that may all the time be me. It was having a toll on me and my wellbeing.”

Like many athletes who’ve grappled with bouts of despair, and different psychological well being struggles within the public eye, Norris is conscious of his privileged place.

“The worst little bit of all of it’s that I understand how fortunate I’m to journey the world, receives a commission nicely – I can virtually do no matter I would like in my life,” he mentioned. “So I really feel like I don’t have the fitting generally to possibly complain or to say sure issues as a lot as different individuals.

“However, for me, it’s definitely been a win speaking about it due to the quantity of messages that I acquired from individuals, saying how a lot having somebody in my place and having the ability to relate to that has helped them.”

After waxing lyrical about his aspirations to be world champion, Norris admitted that profitable races isn’t as essential because the well being and security of his followers.

“Even when it was only one message, that’s made me happier as a result of when it’s talked about that you just saved their life as a result of they needed to finish their life,” he mentioned of the messages he obtained after talking out about despair.

“I acquired fairly a number of of them; that makes me happier than profitable a race. That’s simply my notion of life, that’s an even bigger impression. Since you made a distinction. Profitable a race doesn’t make a distinction.”