Lando Norris has declared that he “does not care” what other people think of him as long as he proves to himself he is capable of performing in F1.

The reigning world champion has been vocal throughout his career about battles with mental health and a lack of self-confidence in his abilities, including early in his championship-winning year of 2025.

After poor qualifying performances in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Norris declared that he was “useless” and didn’t know how to drive a car, before a late-season rally to claim the title by just two points and fend off Max Verstappen’s late charge. 

However, Norris has grown in stature in 2026, but detailing his ongoing battles with himself, he declared that the only person he needs to prove anything to is himself.

“I don’t know if it’s pressure or if it’s just the fact that I’m able to question myself less because I have the reassurance inside that I can achieve what I want to achieve,” Norris reflected to media, including RacingNews365.

“So I don’t know if it’s pressure. It’s not pressure. Like everyone’s here because they expect me to do good things and to perform every weekend, as you should, and as the whole team should. 

“But I’ve always been the person who has to prove things to myself before. Like, I don’t care what other people can prove to me. I prefer that I can do it. 

“I always found it hard to believe I’d be able to win a race in Formula 1 until I won a race in Formula 1.

“I always found it hard to believe I could win and have what it takes to win a world championship until I won a world championship.”

[Article continues below].

Norris’s performances

Norris has put together a strong body of work in 2026, with two excellent wins in Hungary and the Netherlands, whilst he arguably put in the lap of the season in Spain to steal pole position from Kimi Antonelli by 0.011s.

Only an unfortunately timed VSC deployment cost the Briton a third win in four races, as he further explained that “deep down” he has proven to himself he can deliver.

“So now it’s more that I, deep down, have that reassurance within myself. I have confidence, and I have belief in myself,” Norris added.

“It is something I wish I had previously, but it’s just not how I’m wired or how I work necessarily. So it’s not a pressure thing; it’s more a confidence in ability.”