Lando Norris lacks mentality to succeed...... Read more

Lando Norris lacks mentality to succeed…… Read more

Former Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa believes Max Verstappen’s aggressive mentality is key to his dominance and suggests that Lando Norris must adopt a similar approach to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Massa, who continues to battle for justice over the controversial conclusion to the 2008 world championship, has drawn parallels between his own career and the challenges Norris faces in his first true title fight.

Verstappen vs. Norris: A Clash of Styles

The 2024 F1 season has seen Verstappen and Norris lock horns both on and off the track. While the McLaren driver criticized Verstappen’s combative tactics during their championship battle, the Dutchman dismissed the notion of change. “I am a three-time world champion,” Verstappen told Viaplay. “I don’t need to adjust anything.”

Massa, however, admires Verstappen’s unwavering mindset. Speaking to Formule 1, the Brazilian said, “Max drives aggressively, on the limit, and sometimes a bit over it. Lando has less of that. For me, Max is clearly number one.”

The 43-year-old acknowledged his own career shortcomings, suggesting that he too lacked Verstappen’s mental edge. “I was sometimes too nice, too kind. I was maybe more like Lando,” Massa admitted.

Norris: Learning and Growing

Despite the challenges, Massa sees growth in Norris. “This was the first time he fought for a championship, and against someone like Max—that’s not easy,” he said. “But you can see he is changing. He’s getting tougher. He’s learning. So next year or the year after might be different.”

Massa believes the intense competition with Verstappen will serve as a valuable learning curve for the young Briton, potentially setting the stage for future success.

McLaren’s Evolution: Andretti’s Perspective

F1 legend Mario Andretti also weighed in on McLaren’s rise to championship contention, emphasizing that both the team and its drivers are still adapting to the pressure of competing at the highest level.

“They have the car to win, but I don’t think they expected to be in contention for the championship so soon,” Andretti told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “When a team doesn’t fight for the crown for many years, it takes time to compete with the top teams again.”

Andretti praised McLaren’s driver lineup, highlighting Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri as exceptionally talented but relatively inexperienced in title battles. “Norris and Piastri are extremely fast and competitive, but they’ve never been in this position before,” the 1978 world champion explained.

The Future for Norris and McLaren

Both Massa and Andretti agree that McLaren’s and Norris’s championship bid may have fallen short this year, but they see a bright future ahead. As Norris sharpens his mentality and McLaren builds on their newfound competitiveness, the foundations are in place for sustained success in the coming seasons.

Norris’s first championship battle has proven to be a learning experience, and while Verstappen’s dominance remains a tough barrier to overcome, the lessons from 2024 could propel Norris and McLaren to greater heights in the near future.