McLaren CEO Zak Brown has taken exception to comments made by Helmut Marko regarding Lando Norris' perceived "mental weakness”, calling the Red Bull motorsport advisor’s word “disappointing” and “inappropriate”
Marko's remarks came in a recent interview with Motorsport-Magazin, in which he offered his assessment on Max Verstappen’s chances of winning his fourth world title this season.
The Austrian vaunted the Dutchman’s strong mental strength, a potential weakness suffered by Norris according to the 81-year-old Red Bull chief.
"[Max] is the best, he's the fastest and, above all, he has the mental strength to theoretically fight for the world championship more than Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris," Marko said.
"We know Norris has some mental weaknesses. I've read about some of the rituals he needs to do to perform well on race day."
Brown, who has overseen Norris’ rise through the ranks at McLaren, expressed his disappointment over Marko's comments, particularly given the progress that Formula 1 has made in breaking the stigma around mental health.
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“I read Helmut’s comments, which I thought were disappointing but not surprising,” the American said, addressing the issue ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin.
“Lando has been kind of an ambassador for mental health. Toto [Wolff] has spoken about mental health, so I think it’s a serious issue that we’ve tried to talk about and bring to the forefront."
©McLaren
Norris has been open about his struggles with mental health since joining Formula 1, and McLaren has partnered with the UK-based mental health charity Mind to bring greater awareness to the challenges athletes face.
The three-time Grand Prix winner has often candidly shared his experiences, admitting for example that nerves still affect him greatly on race weekends.
“I still get so nervous for qualifying and for the races. I still get just as excited and just as nervous,” Norris said recently. “I barely eat anything on Sundays. I struggle to drink anything on Sundays, just because of nerves and just because of pressure.”
Brown believes that Marko’s comments are damaging to the sport's progress in the crucial area of mental strength.
“Poking at that situation I think is pretty inappropriate and kind of sets us back 10-20 years,” the McLaren chief stated.
He acknowledged that Formula 1 is known for intense rivalries, but felt Marko’s comments crossed a line.
“It’s all fun and games in how some people go racing and what tactics they use from a sporting perspective, but I thought that one was in pretty poor taste.”
Brown's views echo those of other high-profile figures in Formula 1, including Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff, who have also spoken openly about their experiences with mental health challenges.
The Mercedes boss in particular has publicly spoken about his experiences with anxiety and depression as a "superpower" that allows him to navigate the stresses of life and competition.
“I have struggled so badly with these things, for months not being able to have a clear thought, but I came to the realisation that it comes with a lot of advantages,” Wolff said.
“This is what I want to give people that have mental health issues as a hope.”
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