Sebastian Vettel begins mentoring Lando Norris

McLaren’s championship push has taken an intriguing twist: four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel is mentoring Lando Norris while the Briton hunts Max Verstappen and team-mate Oscar Piastri.



Their unlikely alliance reflects both Vettel’s post-retirement craving for relevance and Norris’s determination to add psychological steel to raw pace.



A Red Bull Legend Coaching a McLaren Hopeful



Vettel’s four titles with Red Bull from 2010-13 earned him unique insight into the mindset required to topple an empire.



Norris revealed in Miami that “Seb often texts me about these kinds of things,” praising the German’s emphasis on balancing on-track aggression with off-track composure.







The 2025 Scoreboard



After six rounds Piastri leads on 131 points, Norris trails by 16 and Verstappen sits 32 adrift. McLaren’s MCL40 is the class of the field, yet Norris has not won since Australia due to crashes, track-limits penalties and what critics label defeatist body language.



What Vettel Advises



Vettel applauds Norris’s honesty—“It’s my way of doing things,” the Brit says—but urges selective transparency. In Vettel’s championship years, admitting weaknesses behind closed doors while projecting invincibility publicly became a strategic weapon. Norris concedes: “Maybe I shouldn’t share as many things as I do.”



Media Pressure and Mental Fortitude



Pundits note Norris’s mood swings feed social-media narratives of fragility, contrasting sharply with Piastri’s calm. Vettel reminds him that modern F1 warfare happens as much in interviews as in braking zones. Mastering that battlefield could tilt a tight intra-team duel.



Verstappen in the Crosshairs



While Norris focuses on Piastri, Verstappen lurks with trademark relentlessness. Vettel’s experience tackling Fernando Alonso in 2012 and Lewis Hamilton in 2017-18 offers a blueprint: capitalise on every Red Bull stumble, avoid self-inflicted wounds and treat podium seconds as strategic wins, not failures.



Can Norris Rebound?



Miami exposed two recurring Achilles’ heels—qualifying under pressure and lap-one positioning. Vettel’s coaching reportedly includes visualisation exercises and race starts analysis.




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Engineers describe a “more methodical” Norris arriving at the European leg, eager to convert lessons into points.



The Bigger Picture



Vettel’s guidance underscores a changing paddock culture where active drivers tap retired champions for mentorship much like tennis pros hire past greats. Whether it propels Norris to the crown remains uncertain, but the collaboration itself signals a maturing competitor willing to seek every edge.
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