Zak Brown finds Helmut Marko’s criticism of Lando Norris’ mental problems “tasteless” – McLaren CEO “disappointed, but not surprised”
McLaren CEO Zak Brown says Helmut Marko’s comments about Lando Norris’ alleged “mental weakness” set the sport back 10 to 20 years. In an interview with oe24, the Red Bull consultant recently emphasized the chances of his driver Max Verstappen for the championship, while criticizing his World Championship rival Lando Norris.
“Mentally and in terms of driving, he is the best,” said Marko about Verstappen. “Norris has a weakness when starting, and he is not the strongest mentally. The pressure is increasing with every race because, in truth, he has to win every time to catch up. Max has an easier time defending.”
Marko is probably alluding to Norris’ comments at the Italian Grand Prix last month, where the Briton made an open admission about the nervousness he feels before a Grand Prix.
Marko statements: Brown “disappointed, but not surprised”
“I’m still so nervous before qualifying and before the race, I’m still just as excited and just as nervous,” Norris said. “On Sundays, I hardly eat. I find it hard to drink on Sundays, just because of the nerves and the pressure.”
“I think it’s just a case of how do you turn it into something positive. How do you stop it from having a negative effect on you and how do you use it in a good way to focus on the right things?”
When asked about Marko’s comments, McLaren CEO Zak Brown says he is “disappointed but not surprised.” He also believes the 81-year-old’s comments set the sport back years, after various teams and drivers have already made strides to break the stigma around mental health.
“I read Helmut’s comments, which I thought were disappointing but not surprising,” Brown says. “Lando has been something of an ambassador for mental health. Toto [Wolff] has talked about mental health, so I think it’s a serious topic that we’ve been trying to talk about and bring to the forefront.”
Brown: “I thought it was pretty distasteful”
“Poking around in that situation, I think it’s pretty inappropriate and kind of takes us back 10 to 20 years. But it’s kind of funny how some people race and what tactics they use from an athletic point of view, but I thought it was pretty distasteful.”
Norris has long been open about the mental health issues he faced when he entered F1, and he and his McLaren team have taken a leading role in the industry by working with UK-based mental health charity Mind.
Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton is another prominent driver who has spoken openly about his lifelong struggle with depression and anxiety. These comments have been welcomed by Mind, as have those of his Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
“I struggled with these things so much that I was unable to think clearly for months, but I have come to the realization that it has a lot of advantages,” Wolff told Sky. ‘I call it a superpower. That’s what I want to give as hope to people who have mental health issues.’
