Jenson Button: Lando Norris must be “more relaxed” to handle F1 title pressure

Jenson Button believes that managing the “mental” challenges is Lando Norris’ biggest hurdle in his quest for this year’s F1 world championship - not his raw speed.

Norris has endured an error-strewn start to the 2025 F1 season.

While he’s just 13 points behind teammate Oscar Piastri in the standings, Norris hasn’t won a race since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March.

Norris has spoken openly about how difficult the MCL39 F1 car has been to drive, particularly in qualifying.

On the other hand, Piastri has taken a notable step forward relative to last year.

Norris is one of the few F1 drivers on the grid to be open about his weaknesses.

Button, who won the F1 world championship in 2009, has called on Norris to be more relaxed.

“I think so, yes,” Button said when asked if it was a pivotal weekend for Norris. “One because this circuit you can’t really overtake on. It’s not been the best in qualifying for him lately also when you look at today.

“Piastri put in the wall, pulled the car out and still went quicker than Lando. It is a tough one. It definitely plays on your mind when it’s race after race your teammate is out-qualifying you.

“I want to see a more relaxed Lando. He knows how quick he is. He is so fast and I think it just gets the better of you sometimes the stress and the pressure F1 brings.

“It’s about managing that which is the most difficult part of his job. It’s not the driving - he knows how quick he is. It’s more managing the mental aspect of it and that’s where he’s tightened up at a few races.”

Lando Norris can halt “negative momentum”

Momentum is firmly on Piastri’s side having won four of the opening six races.

Piastri has already out-qualified Norris four times this year - as many as he managed in the entirety of last year.

Former W Series driver Naomi Schiff believes a good result or two will shift the momentum back in Norris’ favour.

“It will be but I don’t know if the psychological game for him is confidence in the car,” Schiff explained.

“I think it’s more about overthinking things and maybe overdriving to try and make up the difference. It’s been as you say too many qualifyings that his teammate is a lot younger than him in his career is out-qualifying him and it’s a possible turning point where he can reclaim that.

“That negative momentum can be easily turned around with one good result, one good qualifying and for a driver like Lando, who is so critical of himself and does play that harder psychological game on himself it will make a world of difference.”