Donald Trump was arguably the biggest non-F1 entity present in the 2024 Miami GP paddock. Many were considering him a guest of the McLaren team for the weekend. However, the Woking-based outfit decided to clear the air and reveal the pressure F1 put on them to host the former American President.
Kym Illman posted a video on his YouTube channel talking about the Miami GP, and the incident involving McLaren and Trump stood out. Illman too thought that Trump was a guest of the British team’s hospitality and put up a post highlighting the same.
This was before McLaren reached out to the reputed journalist, saying:
“I got a note from the PR people at McLaren, saying ‘Kym, could you please change that? He is not a guest of ours. We were selected by F1 that he would come to our paddocks’. In other words, F1 foisted him onto McLaren.”
Illman went on to say that McLaren was working hard to point out that Donald Trump wasn’t their guest in the immediate aftermath of the Grand Prix weekend. However, the 2024 Presidential Candidate had a good time in the paddock, chatting several people up, including the race winner Lando Norris.
Donald Trump’s interaction with McLaren race winner Lando Norris
Trump got a tour of the McLaren garage and car before the race in Miami got underway. Lando Norris didn’t get a chance to talk to the 77-year-old before the lights went out but when he was celebrating his first-ever F1 race win, Trump came into the McLaren area to congratulate the British driver.
Donald Trump takes credit for Lando Norris’ Formula One win.
Nice work by @McLarenF1 allowing yourself to get used by this huckster. pic.twitter.com/XByz0lVzub
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 5, 2024
As quoted by The Independent, Norris said:
“He said he was my lucky charm because it was my first win so I don’t know if he’s going to come to more races now.”
Thank you @McLarenF1. THANK YOU
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) May 5, 2024
Norris added that he had a lot of respect for Trump, and the fact that a person as important as him visited him means a lot. Trump may have been the biggest name to congratulate Norris, but wasn’t the only one.
The 24-year-old’s first race win was a long time in the making. After he finally stood on that top step of the podium, the entire F1 community showered him with congratulatory messages.
