Lando Norris did exactly what was needed at the Canadian GP to avoid ‘negative spiral’ Nico Rosberg warned him about

Could Lando Norris have just committed the title-defining incident during the Canadian Grand Prix?

It was a surprise move when Norris committed to an out-braking attempt on the inside of Turn 10, but utilising the DRS in the traffic, Piastri turned it into a drag race between Turns 12 and 13.

Piastri was later on the brakes into the Turn 13 chicane, but that compromised his exit and set up Norris as they passed the start/finish straight. Using the DRS again, Norris decided to pass on the inside, before making contact directly below the McLaren pit wall.

The old Ayrton Senna adage is “If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you’re no longer a racing driver” – In this case, it didn’t exist. Norris bore the brunt of the collision and retired on the spot, while Piastri continued and extended his championship lead by 22 points.

McLaren knew this was always going to happen at some point, given that both their drivers were in the title hunt, but what they probably didn’t expect was how Norris handled the situation.

Nico Rosberg outlines negative spiral that Lando Norris has just avoided

Norris’s collision with teammate Piastri was different compared to other title rivals in the past, because rather than adding to the tension, he admitted he was at fault.

It’s rare that an athlete ever admits they are at fault for anything in sport, usually playing into the ‘Me versus the world’ narrative.

It comes just two weeks after Max Verstappen refused to apologise to George Russell after intentionally causing a collision, while plenty of world champions in the past have committed the same offence against their title rival and refused to take the blame.

It’s usually this that gets them into a negative spiral, as noted by Nico Rosberg on Sky Sports F1, who knows exactly what can happen in the aftermath of a teammate collision after his skirmishes with Lewis Hamilton.

“The thing is that it also becomes a little bit traumatic at some point. Because you start spiralling down and you get this repetition of, I’m making mistakes and thoughts get in your head,” said Rosberg.

“It can get really dark. Especially a mistake when everyone can see you hit your teammate, it’s difficult for Lando to get back out of that.”

Why Norris admitting it was his fault is better than letting it drag on

We all want Norris to be a ruthless title contender like his most recent championship-winning counterparts Verstappen, Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel.

But in this instance, the Briton handled the situation perfectly. We’re only 10 races into this 24-race campaign, and any added tension will make it harder for the team to achieve their objectives.

Norris has been vocal about his mental health, having also been named an ambassador of Mind charity for a number of years now, and this showed resilience.

He’s willing to sweep it under the rug rather than cause a drama that could impact the team harmony, having worked so hard to get to this point since he joined in 2019.

It was a wise decision in the context of preserving McLaren’s first Drivers’ title chances since 2008, but on track, it handed an unnecessary advantage to Piastri and needs consistency to rectify in the next couple of races.