Being an F1 driver has its upsides and downsides. On the one hand, of course, this means money, fame, the admiration of many; on the other hand, it also means giving up your free time, part of your private life, and finally being exposed on social networks to a number of toxic comments.
It is these two sides of the coin, the obverse and the reverse, that Lando Norris has to face daily. What takes over fame? The positive or the negative? Day or night? Does he like to show himself, to expose himself to the public?
“As for support, I love it. I think it’s an amazing thing that people are there for you, but I’ve always been a pretty introverted guy. I’m not the best with crowds and people, although that seems to be the opposite of what to do in Formula 1. I’ve never been that kind of person. I want to be the best in the world, I want to prove myself to people. »
“But I never had the mentality or the confidence to say it or to feel like I had to do anything more than normal to show it to people. Do I have to do anything more than normal to prove it? I do not believe. »
Can we, should we also renounce the part of friendliness, kindness, of his personality, when it is necessary to dominate F1? Don’t you have to be a ‘killer’ to dominate this sport?
“People say you have to be brutal and have a certain mentality. But I don’t think that’s true at all. »
“Just get in the car and do your best. I want to beat everyone. If people say I don’t look like I have the right mentality or that I don’t look aggressive enough, blah blah blah, that’s just their opinion at the end of the day. I hate that expression, but I try to speak on the track. »
Six million subscribers on Instagram, other millions on other platforms… Lando Norris has a voice that matters to many people, even beyond F1. How does he manage this fame? How does he use it?
“Yeah, I feel like I’ve used it many times for COVID, for charities or for mental health, I feel like I’ve used it to help those causes or to give my point of view. I don’t feel like I have to use it or necessarily want to use it. It’s a small part of what you need to do in Formula 1 to boost your brand image. »
“But if someone calls me famous or a celebrity…I hate being told ‘you’re a celebrity’ or ‘you’re so famous’. I just want to be as normal as possible. I don’t want to stand out too much. We appreciate it, but I wouldn’t say I like it or want it. »
Indeed, Lando Norris had revealed to have saved lives with his commitment to mental health.
But for his own sanity, dealing with toxic comments on social media is sometimes not easy…even if the McLaren driver has learned to deal with it.
“I love reading all the bad stuff. In 2019/2020 I was reading something and wondering why this person said this or did that. I cared almost too much about what people thought. But I got to a point where I really like seeing what people write about me. Of course, I like good things and it is sometimes very pleasant to read. You just have to learn to laugh and make fun of bad things, because I feel sorry for the person who had to invent these things in the first place. »
Which father would Lando Norris be?
What advice would Lando Norris give to his children? Avoid social media?
“I don’t want to think about it right now!” You know, I don’t want to think about it right now. I love children. My brother just had a second baby and these are the cutest things in the world. »
“I think I’m a great uncle. Even though babies always cry when they see me, I feel like I’m good for them. I grew up with my manager for 10, 11 years, maybe more, and he’s had three kids since. In a way, I’m looking forward to this part of my life, even though I’m 23 and don’t want to think about it right away. »
“I will be a strict father, I can tell you that. I feel like I have good opinions on things. My parents raised me very well. I have respect, I have good manners. I don’t attack people too much. I often stay alone. I just take what my parents taught me and do my best to instill it in the children I have in the future. I don’t think you can protect everyone from everything. You have to go through difficult times to realize what is good or bad. You never want to be perfect, but I’ll do my best. »
2023-08-20 09:49:34
#normal #Norris #deals #toxicity #networks
