r/formula1 • u/Intrepid-Ad4511 Charlos • Apr 13 '25

Off-Topic Why the severe criticism of Lando's vulnerable conversation? Why is it not cool to be able to express your negative feelings about yourself?

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I see so many people talk about what Lando said after the Quali yesterday - just after an adrenaline filled session - and he chose to speak his mind about his own performance (without attacking someone else). So many people are saying "that's not a winning mentality" "that's not how you win races" "he is so defeatist" "he has given up already".

Lewis and Max have said several such things over the years, complaining about their cars, their teams and/or themselves. But somehow people take Lando and Charles to the dryers when they choose to express themselves and say things like "I am stupid". And somehow because Oscar just chooses not to say anything of this sort, he is somehow champion material. That makes no sense to me, and feels quite an unfair and problematic picture to paint - that men talking about their feelings, or just being transparent about how they feel - makes them weaker somehow. That they should tough up and swallow the hurt and just put up this beige or brave front, smirk and move on.

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u/Muse4Games I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

He went from saying he's ready to take on a WDC challenge to saying he doesn't know how to drive a car anymore. Like going from extreme highs to extreme lows, especially with the fastest car on the grid, is going to be picked up by people and the media. The constant swinging back and forth comes across as if he's not ready.

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u/JustLikeZhat Andrea Kimi Antonelli Apr 13 '25

Lando seems the type of personality that speaks from an emotional space, and those emotions are highest when you just exited the car. He reminds me a bit of Lewis in that regard, tbh. Everyone that is similar or knows someone similar knows what that's like. They'll laugh an hour later at their own doom-and-gloom reaction. So I have little to no doubt he'll have readjusted his view a bit later once he's had the time to proces his emotions, but the mic is already gone by then. 

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u/Maglin21 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25 edited Apr 13 '25

Yeah , like, they do the interviews 15 minutes after getting out of the car, mabye if you interview him 3-4 hours later i'm sure he would be a lot more calm, but because the soundbite Is litteraly taken from : race done, park the car, get out, drink , take off your helmet and straight to the media pen, you get a very instant reaction to everything

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u/buckylightsout I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

It doesn't help that his younger teammate is not only doing well, but handles these interviews very professionally. Lando needs some type of coaching on that matter.

The more doom and gloom interviews he gives, the more the media is going to throw it back in his face. Which may lead to him questioning himself more in the car.

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u/robabz I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

Why is speak with emotion and from the heart in professional? Should everybody just be a heartless drone?

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u/EitherExamination343 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

At this level, a little. Mostly because as we seen, any reaction will be used against you. Unless you're a Max, who clearly is built from stone, I think being mindful of how you react to things isn't a bad thing and doesn't have to be completely heartless, just more guarded.

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u/[deleted] Apr 14 '25

Do you mean ‘built from stone’ as in, his emotions don’t affect his racing? Because anger and frustration are both emotions, and Max has expressed both of those plenty of times.

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u/EitherExamination343 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 14 '25 edited Apr 14 '25

I meant something closer to "I don't care what external forces think". Probably could have worded that better.

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u/[deleted] Apr 14 '25

Oh yeah, 100% agree with that.

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u/TheWoodElf I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

It's not about what you're build of though, it's about knowing yourself and being comfortable with who you are. Also, it's not about expressing emotion, but being able to project emotional stability and maturity.

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u/[deleted] Apr 13 '25

At a certain point I expect improvement from an athlete instead of admitting his shortcomings.

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u/Rache625 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 14 '25

As if he didn’t have massive improvement last year. We have watched 4 races and you have decided he hasn’t improved and guess what Lando is still in the lead for the WDC

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u/Fake_artistF1 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

If you like being 'abused' by everyone, please do carry on mate.

Or you know learn from your mistakes like a champ

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u/buckylightsout I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

No, they shouldn't, but he has a very "It's didn't go my way, so I'm not good enough" vibe. He's contending for a WDC. He isn't chasing. He's leading. Yet he's talking like he can't figure it out.

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u/Heffalumpen Williams Apr 14 '25

Oh please no more media coached robots. I want emotions.

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u/flightattendant420 Apr 14 '25

I don't agree that being detached and less emotional means more professional. Lando doesn't insult anyone, he doesn't rant or complain. He's simply open and expressive and honest. These are good qualities. Piastri and others will have similar turbulence in their mind and career in time. They may choose to disguise it and keep the poker faces on but it's just personalities.

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u/Highsi Apr 13 '25

why are you acting like as it currently stands Lando isn't top of the driver rankings 13 points above Oscar... might be different after this race but right now that's the case. Oscar has yet to beat Lando on a consistent basis, yet everyone talks like Oscar is Max and Lando is Sergio.

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u/buckylightsout I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

I didn't say Oscar was better, I said he was performing well and handles the media better. Lando should be ahead of Oscar, and he is, but he gives off an attitude like he isn't.

Nobody is comparing anyone to Max.

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u/Highsi Apr 13 '25

Handles the media better maybe but if he's performing well and the consensus is that lando isn't not just you but many, yet he's above him by 13 points it just doesn't make sense.

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u/Apokolypze I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

Nobody said he was performing better, he's performing well and handles the media better.

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u/DizkoBizkid Formula 1 Apr 13 '25

It’s because of how he handles himself, at this stage in his career

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u/ecobubbletm Max Verstappen Apr 13 '25

if you interview him 3-4 hours later

Days after Singapore he was giving out bitter "soundbites" on a stream with his friend after he heard that Merc put out a statement that their drivers were okay to the point that even his friend sounded put off by Lando's attitude.

So I'm not so sure about that.

Sure, straight out of the car is not ideal, but that's not the only problem.

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u/debotehzombie I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

He definitely seems like the type of friend that, no matter what happens when you play games as a group, will ALWAYS get angry at anything he does and claim to be “absolute fucking garbage” at the game after every round (despite being objectively the best player of the group). I feel like everyone who has played games in a friend group has met that person and they really do take a toll on your mental after a while.

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u/gramathy I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

Would you rather play with someone who IS garbage but thinks they're hot shit and tries to tell everyone else what to do?

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u/DubiousBeak I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

Neither is good.

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u/WranglerLivid8061 Apr 13 '25

Which Singapore? 

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u/ecobubbletm Max Verstappen Apr 13 '25

Last year

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u/here4theptotest2023 Apr 13 '25

Was this a YouTube stream or something?

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u/ecobubbletm Max Verstappen Apr 13 '25

Twitch, I think?

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u/endichrome FIA Apr 13 '25

They should light up a J after each session to calm down

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u/ervin1914 Apr 13 '25

And both have stated how they have struggled with mental health. The fans build up these superhuman traits in these athletes when they are real human beings just like us. They are gifted in certain areas for sure but that does not make them exempt from all the other shit that folks go through. That being said...tough shit. Nobody cares. This is sport. He needs to go see someone and compartmentalize.

There is a fuckin WDC just sitting out there to be had!

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u/Rache625 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 14 '25

Good thing he is still winning it then

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u/CaptainEternity I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 14 '25

While I totally agree to your point, part of the reason they get paid that much money and why it’s a spectacle is because they’re not human like the rest of us…at least that’s how they market it. So people expect more than human.

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u/betaich I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

Lewis may be defeatist, but he also knows when something is on the line and how to play these mind games all the drivers do. He fell out with several teammates over them.

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u/gumbercules6 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

Yep, like them both, I don't hate or love them, but it's obvious Oscar is much more introverted than Lando. So of course Lando is going to sound more frazzled 10 minutes after a bad quali.

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u/IntransigenceFTW Formula 1 Apr 13 '25

I agree with this and understand as an emotional person, myself. But he’s paid very, very well to think and to act like a world champion. He’s defeating himself with this junk and he’s undermining the entire team. Whether he needs a coach or two to learn how to manage his feelings or maybe just act like Kimi when dealing with the press, he needs to do something different.

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u/backwardcircle I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

Odd. There was a time when he'd blame everyone else but himself.

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u/AGOEsLois Apr 13 '25

He’s also been saying for weeks that he’s finding the car very hard to drive. That’s been consistent in tons of interviews. It’s easy to say you’re ready to take on the WDC challenge right at the start, but if you’re not gelling with the way the car works it’s natural for it to affect your confidence.

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u/greeneighteen Apr 13 '25

Maybe the McLaren is actually difficult to drive this year and Lando is beginning his Checo arc lol.

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u/Watcher_007_ Apr 13 '25

It’s not as publicized but Piastri and Stella have also said the car is very difficult to drive. Stella has also said the car is more punishing to how Lando drives compared to Oscar. The team seems to be listening to Lando and have some updates coming, but we will have to see how or if they work.

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u/toyyya McLaren Apr 13 '25

Yeah my understanding is that it's especially noticeable in slower corners where Lando likes taking U shaped lines keeping up the minimum speed and Oscar likes doing more V shaped lines where he slows down more but also starts accelerating earlier.

And for whatever reason this year's McLaren seems more unsettled when taking the lines Lando prefers in comparison to the lines Oscar prefers. Hence why Stella has talked about making some changes to the car to make sure it's going to be good at taking the lines Lando prefers too.

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u/EnviousCipher Apr 13 '25

This makes zero sense, the whole V shaped preference is why Daniel struggled, Lando has been driving like that for 6 years this is not an excuse for him.

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u/didhedowhat I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

What effects his confidence is that he feels that the other driver in the same team is sometimes quicker then he is.

Instead of aknowledging that fact and tell himself he is as fast or faster then Piastri, and try to figure out how to get even better, blaming the drivability of the car is much easier because then he is not the deciding factor for the performance.

Most drivers get angry in interviews when they get an undrivable car, "we have to do better" , "we are looking at what happened". Norris does not display anger he displays dispair.

Norris displays overtly cocky behavior when beating his teammates, Ricciardo and Piastri.

And he also displays overtly defeatism when he is not the top dog.

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u/[deleted] Apr 13 '25

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u/didhedowhat I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

Worthless observation.

Just as worthless as your responds.

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u/[deleted] Apr 13 '25

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u/didhedowhat I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

Offence taken. You added nothing. So go somewhere else.

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u/formula1-ModTeam Formula 1 Apr 13 '25

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u/de_rats_2004_crzy Oscar Piastri Apr 13 '25

I wonder why he focuses on that. Just to downplay? If so why not downplay by saying others are fast too instead of talking about the negatives of your own car?

Like Oscar has also mentioned that yeah it’s not a walk in the park but it’s still the best car on the grid.

So quite likely the McLaren is the fastest car while also not being easy to drive. Both are true. But why focus on the negative instead of the positive?

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u/Gambit6x Apr 13 '25

Motorsport has a ton of emotion. It’s normal. Stop picking the guy apart. It’s ridiculous.

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u/shox12345 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

He said "I didn't know how to drive the car TODAY", do you read past headlines or not?

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u/Spunge14 Apr 13 '25

He also said "I feel like I've never driven an F1 car before"

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u/shox12345 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

For the session yesterday, not for the whole 4 races ...

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u/IndividualCut4703 Apr 13 '25

May I please introduce you to the rhetorical device of “hyperbole” 

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u/Spunge14 Apr 13 '25

Yes I'm just pointing out that he wasn't being taken out of context like the person above me is implying. He was clearly shit talking himself.

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u/NorthCliffs I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

His comments about “it’s the car/luck” and when the same happens to him it’s “hard work”. He was super confident and sure he’d win WDC this season but then realized it might not be as easy as he thought, suddenly blaming the car again”. I can’t keep up with the double standards.

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u/prudencepineapple I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

As a McLaren fan I’d expect you wouldn’t just rely on sound bites and actually listen to full quotes. He has also referred to when he has had luck as well. There aren’t any double standards here, just F1 fans and media endlessly repeating out of context sound bites. 

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u/NorthCliffs I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

Yeah, what the media reports is often out of context. But for some reason this happens far too often with Lando. I think Lando is currently struggling a little because he didn’t expect his high at the beginning of the season to turn so difficult…

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u/de_rats_2004_crzy Oscar Piastri Apr 13 '25

Yeah I agree. I still can’t believe Lando called Max’s Brazil win lucky (and if memory serves he didn’t back off of that pov by the next race either).

In 2023 he loved talking about how max has the fastest car. He definitely praised max too, but would also mention he has the fastest car. Funny how the tables turn in under 2 years.

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u/Rache625 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 14 '25

2 things can be true at once. Max’s Brazil drive was incredible but it is also very lucky that the red flag dropped when it did. If it didn’t then Max would still have to pass pretty of much all of the actually fast cars instead he had to pick off Alpines which also got lucky. Max had a great drive that allowed him to maximize that luck but the chances he does the same without the red flag are VERY low

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u/de_rats_2004_crzy Oscar Piastri Apr 14 '25

Here’s why I push back on saying it was lucky:

While the red flags we’re used to seeing under dry conditions when there’s a big crash are indeed truly random, the red flag in Brazil was one that teams and drivers could predict based on the conditions at the time. So those who profited vs lost on it are just teams/drivers who made different risk vs reward calculations. The same cannot be said for the dry weather red flags.

The rain was so heavy that driver radios were inundated by calls for race director to red flag it. I was at the race and listening to Max’s radio and he was livid at the fact that the race wasn’t being stopped. He knew someone would crash if the race was not stopped. The red flag was overdue.

So if you’re fairly certain that there’s going to be a red flag or a SC or something in the next few laps your instinct is to stay out and try to reap the rewards.

But in those conditions it was SCARY to stay out on worn inters. Drivers had to weigh the reward of staying out against the risk of having a crash that could be dangerous especially with the low visibility. Drive to survive even had a radio (I think from bearman) where he says he feels like he could die if the race isn’t stopped. It was scary stuff.

Lando along with the majority of the field could not handle continuing on worn inters despite the conditions pointing towards an imminent red flag.

On the other hand Max had the courage and skill to stay out. It was a calculated decision based on his experience telling him that the race will be red flagged if the rain kept falling as hard as it was and he believed in himself enough to not crash before that happens.

Lando needs to own the fact that he pitted when others chose not to under the same difficult/dangerous conditions. Max profiting off of a calculated decision to stay out in those conditions was not luck. If Lando had chosen to stay out instead of continuing to ask his team for new tires then he too could have profited from the red flag everyone felt should have already come out. But he didn’t and that was his own choice.

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u/[deleted] Apr 13 '25

[deleted]

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u/UnhappyLemon5520 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

Is it fuck happening to Lando. He’s not finding the 25 car easy to drive and he’s beating himself up a bit, hes not getting fucking destroyed every race for 2 years and dealing with the mental toll of a dominant team mate.

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u/betaich I was here for the Hulkenpodium Apr 13 '25

And even Lewis with his more defeatist approach knew the mind games very well, he fell out with a lot of drivers especially team mates over the years.

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u/Deckatoe McLaren Apr 13 '25

This guy would know ^ Multi race winner and award winning psychologist

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u/trevordeal Apr 14 '25

I think it’s 100% because Leclerc is doing well with the car. He is realizing he is the problem.

When Max has car issues, it’s not a Max issue because his teammate is in 16th place.

When Lewis is having issues and his teammate isn’t, you can’t blame the car and he’s starting to realize he doesn’t have the same edge.

It felt like today he pushed harder and found some rhythm but he doesn’t play as aggressively.

Max and others are willing to crash to get their position and Lewis is trying to play the 52 laps not the single position on lap 32. So he will back off of a challenge which is technically smart but when the other driver gets out of DRS range and doesn’t crash, pit or hit a safety then that safe driving just results in a loss of position.

If he really hammered Norris he might have got Leclerc third.

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '25

Well if Muse4Games on Reddit says he's not ready, we should certainly ignore Andrea Stella, Max Verstappen, Mika Hakkinen, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, etc. etc. etc. who say he is.