The 1980 world champion described Norris as “a bit weak mentally” and said speaking openly about his struggles leaves him at a disadvantage.
“In terms of mentality, he [Piastri] has an advantage over Lando. I think Lando is a bit weak mentally,” Jones told RTL/ntv and sport.de.
“Anyone who comes out and admits they have a slight mental problem has already lost before the start. You have to stay very focused, not tell anyone anything, and not reveal any secrets.”
He then turned his attention to Piastri, highlighting the Australian’s attributes and why he has all the tools to succeed at the highest level and potentially follow in his footsteps as an Australian world champion in F1.
“He has all the qualities you need, in my opinion, to be super successful in Formula 1,” Jones said of Piastri.
“Every now and then, someone comes along who is successful no matter what they do. And he’s one of those people.
Buy tickets
“He was successful in Formula 3, he was successful in Formula 2, and now he’s leading the [Formula 1] world championship.”
He also praised Piastri’s focus and professionalism across his two-and-a-half seasons in the sport, noting that the 24-year-old’s dedication separates him from others.
“There are some drivers out there who enjoy their time outside the cockpit more than their time in it. With him, you know he’s committed, he has a goal. And he’ll do whatever it takes to achieve it,” he said.
“He’ll do whatever it takes to win a race. That’s what you have to do.”
Beyond his performance on track, Piastri’s behaviour in the garage has been another factor contributing to his psychological edge, according to Jones.
“Perhaps he is smarter in the sense that he stays on his side of the garage,” he said. “He is not involved in politics, he is a man of few words. Perhaps he is acting more psychologically astute.”
Jones first raised concerns about Norris’s mental fortitude earlier this year, telling Fox Sports’ The Back Page: “His teammate is quite quick, there’s no doubt about that. But mentally, I think he’s quite a weak person.
“He’s coming out with all this nonsense that he’s got a bit of a mental thing, he’s dwelling on some of the problems he’s had rather than the positives.”
Jones said at the time that the Briton “already lost” to Piastri by airing such struggles publicly.
Piastri currently leads Norris by nine points in the drivers’ championship entering this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.
Discussion about this post