Lando Norris Catches Up With Friends During McLaren Shakedown as $30 Million Job Keeps Him Away From His Close Ones

McLaren has finally launched its 2024 car, the MCL38. The team also had the shakedown of the brand-new car. Lando Norris, who was the first of the two McLaren drivers to take it out on the track for a spin, had a big smile on his face. The reason wasn’t restricted to the car, though. The 24-year-old, who makes $30 million a year, had a special attendance at the office- his friends.

“A lot of the people I grew up with are the people I was racing against,” Norris revealed on British TV show This Morning. “So, I brought a few friends; they’re just next to me now. A few of my friends are here today because it’s not often I get to bring them along and kind of see a bit more behind the scenes. So, spending time with friends and family, for me, has always been very important,” he added.

Norris commented in response to one of the co-hosts’ observations about how he was doing well for himself financially, but given how long the season goes on, if the F1 driver was able to make time for his friends. Given the 24 races we will witness in the upcoming season, the assumption is not far from reality.

It is one of the reasons F1 drivers cite when opening up on their mental health. Many have spoken against the extensive travel they have to endure throughout the season while circuit hopping. The long flights cause not only physical fatigue but also mental fatigue.

Drivers in the latter stages of their careers complain of the issue more than their younger counterparts. While they follow a strict dietary and physical training regimen to keep themselves race-fit, the travel adds to the fatigue.

The difference between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen’s approach to long seasons

At 24 years of age, Norris is among the younger crop of F1 drivers. He has a buffer of at least a decade before he will perhaps start contemplating quitting the sport over growing fixtures on the calendar. While he is far from happy with 24 races and believes 20 is the ideal number for a year, the McLaren star isn’t too disgruntled to hang his boots.

His friend and grid rival, Max Verstappen, is. The reigning champion, in an interview last year, admitted the expansion of the racing calendar was too much. Verstappen’s current contract runs out at the end of the 2028 season. Pondering over whether he will stay beyond 2028, the Dutchman confessed, “All these things are definitely not helping, for sure.”

: Max Verstappen and Lando Norris express concerns over the packed 2024 F1 calendar. Verstappen believes 24 races are too demanding, while Norris suggests a more ideal number would be around 20. Both drivers emphasize the toll on team members who sacrifice time with families… pic.twitter.com/7vNewddyHf

— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) July 6, 2023

Verstappen has never shied away from discussing his retirement plans publically. Despite Fernando Alonso (42) and Lewis Hamilton (39) being the prime examples, the Red Bull driver hasn’t been keen on racing in F1 for too long. His post-F1 plans, however, do include motor racing. Verstappen is keen on raising a team of his own, and not necessarily in F1.