Lando Norris explains surprise 'ritual' after bizarre and 'inappropriate' Helmut Marko claim
Today at 06:47 AM
McLaren star Landon Norris has clapped back at Red Bull chief Helmut Marko for his remarks about his ‘mental weakness’.
The British driver is challenging Max Verstappen for the Formula 1 title this season but has let points slip through his grasp at key points.
His failure to capitalise on several pole positions has led to his Dutch rival being able to cling onto a 54 point lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
And prior to the weekend’s racing in Austin, Texas for the United States Grand Prix, Marko made a distasteful remark about the 24-year-old.
"We know that Norris has some mental weaknesses," he claimed about the three-time Grand Prix winner.
"I've read about some of the rituals he needs to do to perform well on race day."
It’s unknown what Marko was alluding to but Norris’ boss, McLaren CEO Zak Brown wasn’t having any of it.
"I read Helmut's comments, which I felt were disappointing but not surprising," he said.
"Lando has been an ambassador for mental health. It is a serious issue that he has brought to the forefront and to make it okay to talk about. To choose to poke at that situation is pretty inappropriate and it sets us back 10 or 20 years.
"It is all fun and games as to how some people go racing and the tactics they use but I thought that one was in pretty poor taste."
Norris himself, though, responded in good humour to the comments and insisted he only has one ritual – his well known pre-race meal.
And instead of engaging in a back-and-forth, he believes the best way of responding is on-track.
"He says I have some rituals but I think some of this is a translation difference," he explained.
"My only ritual is eating my chicken wrap!”
He added: "Just to beat them is the best way of doing it [getting in their heads].
"Red Bull love a little bit more of that, trying to play games and stuff. It used to affect me, now I just find it more amusing."
Norris has the perfect opportunity to get back into Marko’s head when he starts from pole position at the United States Grand Prix.
Verstappen had looked likely to snatch that spot but a late crash by Mercedes’ George Russell stopped him from registering a quicker time.
Instead, the three-time world champion will start the race in second ahead of Ferrari stars Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
