McLaren’s Lando Norris has one of the most intense passions for racing on the grid. Even when he is not racing, the British driver rarely switches off and continues thinking about what he can do to be better than the rest. Speaking to The Athletic, the 24-year-old revealed how Golfing allowed him to switch off from time to time while keeping the competitive spirit alive in him despite initially finding the sport boring.
“I would watch it on TV sometimes, and I did honestly think, ‘This looks boring as hell. But once I tried it, and you kind of see the competitive side of it, the mentality was very, very similar to racing.”
Racing tops the priority chart for Norris and given he truly enjoys the thrill of the discipline, no one is complaining. The Briton even expanded his portfolio while keeping his love for racing involved by founding a gaming and lifestyle called ‘Quadrant,’ which combines his love for racing, gaming, and apparel. Furthermore, 2023’s P6 finisher loves golf.
Thanks to Carlos Sainz, Norris started playing golf, and once he saw the competitive side of the sport, he never stopped. While he initially thought the sport was boring, Norris soon found out bout mental battles that take shape during matches and the competitiveness of the sport. Ever since, Norris has been an avid Golfer, rarely passing on an opportunity to swing the club in his free time.
And it’s not like Golfing is a hobby for Norris. The Briton takes it rather seriously and has even been a part of some standout courses. He’s played the Augusta National and has played alongside PGA Golfers in the PGA Pro-Am 2022. Norris even teamed up with Rickie Fowler for the 2023 Netflix Cup, which took place right before the first-ever Las Vegas GP.
Lando Norris had to cut down on his Golfing hours
What started as a normal activity with his friend soon became a way to blow off some steam for the McLaren driver. The sport now stands as one of the most important things in Norris’ life, and even admitted to being a “golfing nut” in a video with GQ Sports. However, he had to cut down on the sport owing to the latest F1 regulations.
Per the 2023 Ground-effect regulations, the cars could go as low as possible to the ground to increase downforce. This meant cars would run on a much stiffer suspension, leading to the car’s bottom hitting the road regularly. The constant contact takes a huge toll on the backs of drivers, but there was no other way around it. As such, Norris had to step away from Golfing, as it added to the toll on his back. The 24-year-old soon started working with a physio to address the issue.
Norris’ openness about his back problems was another example of the wide array of challenges an F1 driver faces, despite many still claiming the sport has little to no challenges, especially given the increasing safety standards.
