Norris says self-confidence descended to an 'all-time-low' in debut F1 season

Lando Norris has spoken about his mental health struggles in a wide-ranging interview with GQ, as the Briton gets ready for his fifth campaign with McLaren.

Norris took 122 points last season with a podium at Imola, which followed another successful campaign in 2021 where he managed four podium finishes and backed up a McLaren one-two at Monza.

READ MORE: Norris on why he's 'happy and confident' to be a mental health pioneer in Formula 1

The 23-year-old has been lauded not only for his proven talent, but his willingness to speak openly about mental health on platforms such as ITV’s Good Morning talkshow in the UK.

In a recent interview with GQ magazine, he said: “I didn’t need to do that [speak about mental health]. It was a choice, because I struggled quite a bit with it in 2019 and 2020.

“I just didn’t know how to deal with it. I kept all of it inside and it really hurt my self-belief and self-confidence, which got to an all-time low. I doubted myself: ‘Am I good enough to be in Formula 1? Can I come back from this?’”

READ MORE: 'I didn't believe in myself' – Lando Norris on overcoming the mental struggles of his rookie season

Norris explained that he continues to deal with negative comments on social media: “You’re never going to please everyone. There are people that support you and people that don’t… I know I’m doing the best I can.”

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But his willingness to talk about mental health has clearly had an impact.

“A few people said that I had saved their life. That hits you pretty hard,” said Norris.

McLaren unveil their next Formula 1 challenger at their Woking headquarters on February 13, with Norris paired up with rookie Oscar Piastri this year.