Lando Norris, one of the most popular F1 drivers on the grid and an absolute fan favorite, may also be the cheekiest. He took a massive dig at former McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen, during a segment for F1’s official YouTube channel. Seemingly, the Briton even forgot that Magnussen is a part of the current F1 grid.
F1 drivers often appear in a Grill the Grid episode on the sport’s YouTube channel. It is a widely loved segment, which features the drivers participating in various games that involve each other. In an edition that was released in August of 2023, the drivers were asked to look at baby pictures of drivers in the current grid and guess who they were.
When Magnussen‘s baby picture came up, not a lot of people got it right. This included Norris, who had to be told by the host, that the picture was Magnussen’s. To this, Norris responded by simply saying:
“Oh, I forgot he was a driver, sad times.”
Norris‘ comments seemed light-hearted and weren’t aimed at disrespecting Magnussen. Admittedly, the Dane is one of the latest drivers to have re-joined the F1 grid, as he returned only in 2022, after a year’s absence.
Did Lando Norris really forget about Kevin Magnussen?
Norris has not spent a lot of time with Magnussen, and they don’t particularly share a close relationship. That could be because Magnussen was absent from the grid during one of Norris’ breakout seasons – 2021.
Magnussen lost out on his Haas seat at the end of the 2020 season. He left F1 behind to compete in other racing ventures until he was called back under extraordinary circumstances. Nikita Mazepin, who was his replacement at Haas, got sacked just days before the 2022 season began.
Scrambling for a replacement, Guenther Steiner decided to bring the Dane back to the grid. However, having not spent a lot of time together even previously, it is understandable why Magnussen’s name slipped out of Norris’ mind a year after the former made a comeback.
Magnussen is still with Haas. Along with Nico Hulkenberg, he provided the American team with a string of consistent and reliable performances in 2023. In 2024, however, he will be hoping for more provided Haas produces a better car.
