Lando Norris appeared noticeably alone amongst his Formula One colleagues at the star-studded premiere of 'F1' in New York on Monday evening.
The 25-year-old British driver attended the glitzy Times Square event without girlfriend Margarida Corceiro, whilst many fellow drivers arrived with their partners for what resembled a mass date night.
The McLaren driver's solo appearance came just days after his devastating crash with teammate Oscar Piastri at the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Despite the recent setback and swirling negativity, Norris maintained a brave face at the A-list event, which saw the F1 grid mingling with Hollywood stars including Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem and Damson Idris.
Lando Norris put on a brave face with his girlfriend absent at the premiere of F1: The Movie
GETTY/INSTAGRAM
The collision during Sunday's race ended Norris's participation and left him trailing Piastri by 22 points, with the Australian finishing fourth.
The incident has thrust Norris's race craft under pressure into the spotlight as the hottest topic in Formula One.
Norris accepted full responsibility for the crash with his team-mate. The setback represents a significant blow to the British driver's championship aspirations.
Corceiro, a 22-year-old Portuguese actress and model with two million Instagram followers, has been linked to Norris since 2023.
JUST IN:Kieran Trippier's mystery woman revealed with England star's wife 'happier without him'
Lando Norris poses with other Formula One drivers at the premiere of F1: The Movie
GETTY
The couple appeared to have split last year, with Norris confirming at the Dutch Grand Prix: "If I do I need a girlfriend, and I don't have one."
However, Corceiro was spotted at the Monaco Grand Prix in May, suggesting a reconciliation.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella addressed the weekend's incident's potential impact on Norris's confidence when questioned on the red carpet.
"This may have an impact in terms of his confidence," Stella said.
READ MORE: Rory McIlroy makes admission about wife Erica Stoll after struggling at US Open
"We will have conversations, and the conversations may even be tough, but there's no doubt over the support we give to Lando and over the fact that we will preserve our parity and equality in terms of how we go racing at McLaren between our two drivers."
Stella emphasised that Norris's acceptance of responsibility was crucial.
"The situation would have been different if Lando did not take responsibility and apologis," he added.
"Lando will have to show his character to overcome this kind of episode and make sure that he only takes the learnings to become a stronger driver."
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Former world champion Nico Rosberg warned that the incident could trigger a downward spiral for Norris.
"It becomes a little bit traumatic because you start spiralling negatively down and down, and you get this repetition of, 'I'm making mistakes, and I'm not good enough', and it starts to get to you in your head," Rosberg said on Sky Sports.
"It can get really dark, and I've been through this, especially when you make a mistake like Lando's where everybody can see it.
"You even hit your team-mate, so your whole team is thinking, 'What's going on?' It will be difficult for Lando to get back out of that."
Lando Norris toiled during the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday
GETTY
Despite the warnings, Norris remained optimistic.
"There are plenty more races left. I don't expect to catch Oscar easily. I have to work hard for it and make fewer mistakes than this weekend," he said.
The British driver will have an opportunity to bounce back at the Austrian Grand Prix in two weeks' time.
Most Read
