Different Lanes

14

Ever since the crash in Hungary, Lando had been dreading the incoming media day for Austria. Even he would admit that he'd been a little harsh on himself to the press post race, which had led to numerous publications releasing articles questioning his mental strength and if he was cut out to become a World Champion.

"He may have pace, but it takes a lot more than that to win a championship"

"Lando's Demons, why the young Brit is struggling to maximise the strength of the McLaren Rocketship"

""Mentally Weak" – Helmet Marko explains why Red Bull aren't concerned about Lando Norris's charge for the WDC"

The articles, videos and pictures had followed him for the last 2 weeks, even an impromptu trip to Portugal to visit some friends couldn't distract him from the mounting pressure. He'd been hounded by the press and captured on social media at every turn. Even a casual dinner with a group of friends had been touted as a "secret date" with a young model.

So it wouldn't be an understatement to say that he still felt exhausted as he sat in silence awaiting for the press conference to start. He'd pleaded with McLaren to send Oscar instead, but the FIA had been insistent on him. Lando just wanted to get through this as quick and as painlessly as possible.

"A very warm welcome everybody to the press conference ahead of the FIA Formula 1 Qatar Airways Austrian Grand Prix. We have two groups coming your way today. For the first group, closest to me we have our last winner George Russell, Sergio Perez in the middle and Lando Norris."

"And why don't we start with the driver running second currently in the Driver's Championship, Lando many fans are still talking about your incident with Max Verstappen last grand prix. Can you walk us through what happened from your perspective?"

Lando looked at the presenter, he hadn't expected to be called up first, "Ahhhh" he hesitated before continuing, "thanks for having me. The crash in Hungary was definitely a tough moment. We were battling hard, and I felt like I had a good chance to overtake him. I was on the outside line, and I think I just misjudged the track. It all happened pretty quickly—one moment I was racing, and the next, I was off the track in the gravel. It's frustrating because I know I had the pace to stay competitive and win that race"

The presenter nodded at his answer before continuing, "there's been significant discussion about mental toughness in Formula 1, especially after Helmut Marko's recent comments. How do you feel about those remarks?"

Lando couldn't help but feel irritated, "Honestly, I find it a bit frustrating. Everyone has their opinions, and sure, mental toughness is important, but I think it's overly simplistic to just label drivers based on one race or a few mistakes." He paused to lookout at the full room before continuing, "we all have our ups and downs, and racing is incredibly challenging."

The presenter continued to press him, "Marko suggested that some drivers might not have the mental fortitude needed to win championships. Do you believe that applies to you, especially in light of the last race?"

"No, I don't think that's fair at all." Lando couldn't help but raise his voice slightly, "Everyone has rough days; it happens to the best of us. I'm working hard every race, and I know I have the ability to compete at the front. Critiques like that can sting, especially when they come from someone who's not in the car. It's easy to make sweeping statements from the sidelines...." He swallowed.

"Honestly, I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing." Lando continued, "I talk to my coach, we strategize, and I focus on my training. I know how to prepare myself mentally and physically, and I won't let one incident or some comments derail my confidence. It's about building resilience, and I'm confident in my ability to bounce back."