Lando Norris has detailed how he has learned from Sebastian Vettel, particularly in terms of speaking out on off-track issues. Vettel became known for his activism work in the latter stages of his F1 career, with the German having used his voice to raise awareness of matters ranging from LGBTQ+ rights to environmental concerns. Norris is amongst the drivers to have joined Vettel in speaking about certain topics; the Briton has previously been vocal about his mental health struggles, having admitted to feeling "depressed a lot of the time" during his debut Formula 1 season in 2019. Following Vettel's retirement from the sport, Norris admits that the four-time World Champion has been influential in highlighting the important of talking about off-track concerns.
Norris aware of 'influence' he has
"I think probably one of the most important things is, nowadays, it's not so much about what you do on track, it's the off-track stuff," Norris told Sky Sports F1 when quizzed on what Vettel had done for the younger drivers in the sport. "That is just as important now, in many ways, the influence we can have on youngsters, on the new audience that we have in Formula 1. "I'm maybe a bit more shy than what Seb is and has been in Formula 1, but I'll learn. "It's about speaking the truth, speaking about honesty and standing for your opinions, and not just about racing things."
Norris 'honoured' to have raced Vettel
As well as learning from Vettel in regards to activism, Norris feels fortunate to have raced alongside the former Aston Martin driver on the track. "I guess some people are criticised [for speaking out about issues] because Formula 1 is about racing at the end of the day, but at the same time I think I'm lucky to have been able to race against Seb [for] the last few years," Norris continued. "A four-time World Champion, one of the best drivers in Formula 1 ever. Things like that, I feel honoured to be part of. "But also the off-track stuff, [there's] a lot that I've learned from Seb. I just need to learn to voice and just [use] what voice I have, I guess, more importantly. "[I can use my voice for] the things I can speak out on, and I guess mental health has been one that I've done a lot of, but I can always do more. "There's plenty of other things for me to speak about, but they'll come with time, so I thank Seb for all of that."
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