Lando Norris has revealed that his stunning pole position in Monaco earlier this year stands as the “only emotional moment” of his Formula 1 career to date – even surpassing the thrill of his long-awaited maiden Grand Prix victory in Miami last season.
The McLaren star, currently locked in a razor-thin title fight with teammate Oscar Piastri, opened up about the psychological side of racing and how proving himself in one of F1’s most demanding settings delivered the biggest rush of his career.
Since bursting onto the F1 grid in 2019, Norris has experienced his share of heartbreaks and breakthroughs. But speaking on the Quadcast YouTube channel, the Brit admitted that even his long-awaited first win in Miami didn’t break through his usual emotional shield.
“I don’t get emotional. Sometimes I want to cry and I can’t. Miami, I wanted to cry, I just couldn’t!” he admitted.
“The only emotional moment I had was pole in Monaco. Sometimes, proving to myself that I can do it… that’s how I’ve always been my whole life.
“The majority of things are mental. That’s almost the toughest side of everything. So for me, the happiest [moment] comes from when I prove something to myself. That’s how I’ve always been driven and how I’ve succeeded.”
Proving he “still has it”
Norris acknowledged that his qualifying performances this year haven’t matched the consistency of previous seasons, with self-doubt occasionally creeping in as McLaren sharpened into a race-winning force.
“This year, all my qualifyings have been a little bit worse than they have in previous years, and I’ve struggled just a little bit more…
“Every now and then you can question yourself a little bit, ‘Damn, am I just not as good as what I was last year, or have I lost a little bit, or is it because I’m not getting the correct feelings?’.”
That context, he explained, is what made Monaco so special.
“When I’m realistic, I’m at the top level in the world against the best drivers in the world. If things aren’t perfect, I’m not going to be on pole,” he added.
When I went to Monaco, the trickiest one of the year, so many things can go so easily wrong… that one place, qualifying’s the most important thing in the world.
“I went out and I proved that I’ve still got it. That was just a very cool moment for me.”
Despite an up-and-down campaign, Norris trails Piastri by just nine points heading into the Dutch Grand Prix, with 10 rounds remaining in a title race that looks destined to go the distance.
For Norris, that emotional jolt in Monaco served as proof that, even amid struggles and doubts, he remains capable of brilliance when it matters most.
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