Despite Parting Ways 3 Years Ago, Lando Norris Remains Carlos Sainz’s Best Friend

Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris both joined McLaren in 2019 and quickly formed a very close bond. They would spend a lot of time on the track, and also off it, which had always been rare in F1. Dubbed ‘Carlando‘ by fans, the duo split when Sainz moved to Ferrari in 2021, but the Spaniard revealed that their friendship remained unaffected.

F1’s media asked Sainz who his best friend on the paddock was and the Madrid-born driver replied,

“I would say, my best relationship in the paddock of- all the drivers and engineers- I would say still Lando [Norris].”

Norris was new to F1 when he joined McLaren, whereas Sainz had been in the sport for four years previously. He learned the ropes under the guidance of Sainz, who despite being a competitor on the track, was always there for him.

They synced well and shared a lot of laughs. The PR and marketing activities they took part in helped develop the friendship further, and they started spending time away from the cameras – golfing, or going on vacations together.

Their goofy acts made for great viewing for the fans, who also got to know more about their friendship behind the scenes in Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries.

None of this affected their on-track performances, however, as it was their partnership, which kickstarted McLaren’s road to resurgence.

Sainz Once Addressed Misconceptions About His Relationship with Norris

Netflix’s Drive to Survive was popular because of its unfiltered access to the lives of F1 drivers outside the cockpits. But sometimes, they would dramatize things a bit too much, which Sainz once pointed out.

The then-McLaren driver slammed the producers for trying to ‘cook’ some friction between the two drivers.

In the series, they tried to portray that Norris and Sainz’s competitiveness came in between their friendship, and Sainz was not happy. He revealed that he had to call Norris as soon as he saw the episode which focused on them, and Norris burst out laughing.

Both drivers downplayed the unnecessary drama created by Netflix – who were supposedly making a rivalry out of thin air.