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LANDO NORRIS will not win the Formula One drivers championship because he has “mental weaknesses”, according to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko.
With just six rounds of the season to go, McLaren star Norris sits 52 points behind reigning champion Max Verstappen.
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The Brit will be hoping to close the gap at this weekend’s US Grand Prix, having won two of the last four races.
However, Red Bull advisor Marko has started the mind games in an effort to throw the 24-year-old off his game as the championship reaches crunch time.
Speaking to Motorsport Magazin, the 81-year-old backed Verstappen to win his fourth title this year.
He said: “Verstappen [will win the championship].
“He is the best, he’s the fastest and, above all, he has the mental strength to theoretically fight for the world championship more than Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.
“We know Norris has some mental weaknesses.
“I’ve read about some of the rituals he needs to do to perform well on race day.”
Back in 2022, Norris revealed one of these pre-race rituals.
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He told Vanity Fair: “I always call my parents…
“Still my mum wants to hear my voice before I go race.”
Despite putting their lives on the line and racing at break-neck speeds every race weekend, F1 stars are a superstitious bunch.
Michael Schumacher famously got his car from the left, always carried an amulet with the initials of his family members and had a preference to wear odd numbers after winning all of seven of his titles with odd numbers.
Lewis Hamilton also revealed that Schumacher used to pee in his racesuit before every race, a practice also followed by Nico Rosberg.
Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel dressed his racesuit with small trinkets ranging from a metal pig to a one-cent coin and placing two shining pieces of lucky silver on his race boots.
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The legendary Alberto Ascari had a range of quirks ranging from avoiding black cats, staying away from unlucky numbers and not allowing anyone else to handle the case that had his lucky blue helmet – cruelly ironic given that he was killed in a testing accident while wearing Eugenio Castellotti’s white helmet rather than his own.
On the current grid, Sergio Perez personalises his car by carrying a picture of the late Pope John Paul II on the inside of his cockpit.
Charles Leclerc likes to sit next to his car in his bubble, Pierre Gasly has an espresso and naps for 30 mins, while Fernando Alonso jumps on the right side of his car before the race.
Meanwhile, Alex Albon meticulously sticks to his pre-race routine, from eating 90 minutes before a race, changing into his gear 30 minutes before setting up a cubby for his equipment.
And despite Marko’s comments about Norris’ pre-race rituals, Verstappen has his own rituals, where he plays video games the night before a race to help get him in the zone.
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