McLaren F1 driver and rookie sensation Lando Norris believes he was “too jokey” at times during F1 rookie season.
Norris, believes that he should have been more focused at points during the season, and admits that he started taking some areas of his craft “for granted”.
“In some ways I think I’ve been almost been too relaxed, and had too much fun,” Norris told Autosport.
“When it’s become more serious, I haven’t focused as much as I should do and so on, and worked on as many areas as I should do, I think I started to take a little bit for granted.
“It’s been good and I’ve been able to have fun in my first season, I’ve not just come in and been surrounded by too many serious things and people.
“At the same time and I think that’s also helped in my ability to work on several things and improve as a driver.
“Maybe sometimes I’ve pushed it a bit too much in terms of making it too jokey, and not focusing as much as I should.
“There’s a compromise, I still just want to have fun sometimes, wear my own jumper [instead of McLaren team gear] and things like that.”
“I have to make sure I don’t let people use what I do and who I am as an excuse – ‘it’s his first year and he doesn’t take it too seriously’.
“Over time maybe I’ll become more relaxed but I think I still have to look more serious from the outside sometimes than I’d want to be just so people don’t use things that aren’t true as excuses.”
Norris finished eleventh in the 2019 F1 standings as a rookie, with a best finish of 6th at both the Bahrain and Austrian Grand Prix’s.
Norris previously finished runner-up in the 2018 FIA F2 championship in his first season, while also winning the 2017 FIA F3 European championship, as well as the 2016 Formula Renault Eurocup, Formula Renault NEC, and Toyota Racing Series championships all as a rookie driver.
