Lando Norris was en route to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Free Practice 3 and Qualifying session of the 2023 Spanish GP. On the way, the Briton was overtaken by Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. And Norris took it as an opportunity to be mischievous yet again as the McLaren star uploaded a ‘fangirling’ video for Leclerc on his Instagram.
Leclerc had arrived in Barcelona with his silver Ferrari SF90 Stradale. The Monegasque had taken the $525,000 Hybrid supercar instead of his dark grey Ferrari 488 Pista, which the driver has often been spotted driving in his native Monaco.
However, the McLaren driver’s reaction upon seeing the Ferrari driver zoom past has gained much attention. Even Leclerc’s die-hard fans were surprised to see Norris going gaga.
Lando Norris shares fan moment upon spotting Charles Leclerc
Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc have faced off against each other on track for six seasons now. However, the McLaren driver reacted like a fan of the Ferrari driver when he came across the Monegasque on the way to the race track.
When Leclerc was spotted driving his car, Norris reacted with a hilarious caption, “Oh My God, it’s Charles Leclerc!” He poked fun at the Monegasque’s driving style, saying, “Wow, a lot of driving style, you see that, that’s incredible.”
Twitter user ‘leclercsletters’ reacted in disbelief, “Lando is a Charles Leclerc fan too.” Another fan named ‘LeclercNews’ wrote, Just Lando Norris fanboying over Charles Leclerc.”
Just @LandoNorris fanboying over @Charles_Leclerc 😂 pic.twitter.com/EI8a0ucTbF
— Charles Leclerc Fan Page (@LeclercNews) June 3, 2023
lando is a charles leclerc fan too 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/jHmoJmHb9C
— clara (@leclercsletters) June 3, 2023
However, fans took notice of the Ferrari driver’s unusual driving posture. A user ‘VERCAPLESS’ reacted, “Why’s Charles driving like that?” Another user, ‘lastcanoniclife,’ claimed, “Why is he driving like a short middle-aged woman that forgot her prescription glasses ???”
why is he driving like a short middle aged woman that forgot her prescription glasses ??? pic.twitter.com/ht8PT1ecdu
— zee 🙂 | SpanishGP🏁🏆 (@lastcanoniclife) June 3, 2023
why’s charles driving like that😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/NJb3XiFKO4
— conni (@VERCAPLESS) June 3, 2023
The two drivers are good friends outside of their racing duties as well. Leclerc and Norris used to stream and race against each other virtually during the Covid-19 break and speak highly of one another.
Details of the car Charles Leclerc was driving?
Fans of Charles Leclerc would have noticed that the driver was driving a Ferrari. However, the car seen in the video captured by Lando Norris is not his customized Ferrari 488 Pista but a Ferrari SF90 Stradale.
The SF90 is the first-ever plug-in hybrid electric car produced by the Italian automaker. The car marked the 90th anniversary of Ferrari’s racing endeavors. The SF90 Stradale has three electric motors, ranging from 26 KM to purely electric power.
charles arrived in the paddock with his ferrari sf90 🔥😍
📸 f1sutton pic.twitter.com/xLTWn1sCX0
— leclerc data (@leclercdata) June 1, 2023
Being a Ferrari, the car features a twin-turbocharged V8 engine capable of producing over 760 HP. This means the car can go from 0 to 100 KmH in flat 2 seconds.
The $525,000 supercar has a luxurious, tailor-made, all-leather interior and a 16-inch curved display. The car’s 8-speed dual-clutch transmission does not offer a reverse gear. Instead, each front wheel hosts an electric motor capable of aiding the driver in moving backward.