Rivals on track, friends off it is what F1 friendships are described as. This is still the dynamic, but it seems like Lando Norris has taken it to a whole different level. Despite being one of the most popular drivers on the grid, Norris puts friendship aside when it comes to racing and winning.
“Did you do everything you could to win the race on that day? That’s the only question you got to ask yourself after a race”, said Norris on the F1: Beyond the Grid podcast before the Austrian GP. This came in response to Tom Clarkson’s question about whether Norris can be friends with another driver in F1. The Brit responded by explaining how the bonds no longer exist once the helmet is on.
| Daniel Ricciardo jogou Padel ontem com Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Felipe Drugovich e Gabriel Bortoleto! pic.twitter.com/JCrv943ZDV
— Formula Girly Brasil (@formulagirlybr) February 26, 2024
“So I don’t care if I got dinner or I had dinner with Carlos or Max one day or we played paddle. That’s my fun outside. I’m enjoying that. I’m enjoying my life. But once the helmet goes on, I don’t care about these things”, added Norris.
Drivers are seen hugging and congratulating each other after the race. However, the real satisfaction comes when they defeat the same ones they embrace. This is what Norris tries to point out with his comments.
Verstappen and Norris are great friends off-track. Still, Norris didn’t mince his words while expressing how Verstappen let him down after their Austrian GP crash last weekend. On track and off the track are two separate worlds for Norris and comments suggest that it’s like toggling a switch for him.
Norris pays for his friends’ travel to keep them close
A driver travels for the better part of 10 months during a calendar year for F1 races. This, with all the media duties and development back at the factory, leaves little to no time for oneself. It is also why drivers hang out with each other the most; even more than their childhood best friends.
Norris, however, tries his best to stay in touch with his friends from back home. Earlier this year, he revealed that he pays for his friends’ travels so that they can spend more time together.
“I think the only way to stay close friends with someone is to spend time with them. You know, like go to Japan together and spend a week there. Or to Texas. I’m happy even paying for them all to go”, said Norris in an interview with The Telegraph.
As he admits that F1 drivers cannot be true friends, his habit of making an active effort to keep his real ones close makes more sense.
