Lando needs to channel his inner Rory

The Masters and Bahrain GP

Lando Norris is a huge golf fan and Rory McIlroy should be the perfect inspiration for him. I am not saying he should wait 11 years to complete the dream, but the ability and belief to bounce back from tough times can be the difference between failure and success.

The Bahrain Grand Prix was good but the conclusion to the Masters was sport as its very best.

McIlroy went through all the emotions in his final round at Augusta as he took victory and completed the Grand Slam, becoming only the sixth man to do so. He had waited 11 years to get the set but it was far from simple. A rollercoaster of a final round saw him in a play-off with Justin Rose. Many would have thought McIlroy had blown it on the 18th and wouldn’t have the mental strength to compose himself for the play-off. He had and he did.

It was nerve racking and at times frustrating but Rory had plenty of opportunity to delve into all the sage advice given by Dr Bob Rotella, the world renowned sports psychologist with whom he’s been working. It wasn’t just on the final day that he needed to rely on the work that he had been doing on his mental strength. Throughout the Masters he has been talking about his ability to bounce back from tough moments.

He said "All week I responded to setbacks and that's what I'll remember. I'm so proud of that and being able to bounce back."

Any athlete will tell you, it’s not about the winning, it’s about perseverance. Michael Jordan famously said, "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

Back here in Bahrain, I was surprised by Lando Norris on Saturday in his post-qualifying interviews. Yes, he had a difficult day only managing sixth whilst his team mate and championship rival Oscar Piastri put the same car on pole position. I’m not saying he shouldn’t be disappointed but it was strange to hear “I've been off it all weekend. I don't know why. Just clueless on track at the minute.” He added that he felt like he’d never driven an F1 car before.

It’s the sort of thing that a sports psychologist would have a field day with. Lando has always been very open when it comes to showing and vocalising his emotions. What surprised me was the timing. It was qualifying for the fourth round of a 24 round season. It was one day with many days still to come. Max Verstappen, the 4 x World Champion won from 14th in Belgium. Last year in Brazil he did it from seventh. This weekend Lando sounded like he had written himself off.

There are always varying discussions around this and ultimately Lando will keep talking and being himself. This weekend he did a big feature in The Times magazine with the headline “Being happy with myself isn’t easy.” At the track though, is this refreshing honesty or a gift to his rivals?

It could be a dangerous game to play when your are in the midst of a team battle for the championship. If his bosses are listening, do they think he sounds weaker than the other guy across the garage? I’m sure his team mate and other rivals are listening to it as well.

Sunday’s race was a rollercoaster for Norris. He was given a 5 second penalty for being too far forward in his pit box at the start of the grand prix but he worked his way back through the field and despite not being able to pass George Russell, he finished third. The 25 year old still leads the championship but maintains that he just doesn’t feel as confident in the car as last year. After the race, he did cut himself some slack though.

"I'm confident that I have everything I need and I've got what it takes. I have no doubt about that - that I'm good enough, and all of those things.”

F1 continues on to Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. McLaren will be good around the obscenely fast circuit and will so will Piastri, who enjoys the track. He is the only repeat winner of 2025 and yet is still three points behind Norris in the championship. The Aussie revels in what is known as ‘the worlds fastest street race’. A place where talent and confidence are needed in equal measure.

Lando will regroup. In his two days or so off between Bahrain and Saudi, he will probably be somewhere on a golf course. He loves the sport. Let’s hope when it comes to next weekend he can channel his inner Rory.