“It Was Like Swallowing Daggers”: When Lando Norris Fought Torturous Illness Through a Race Weekend

In 2022, Lando Norris faced one of the most challenging weekends of his F1 career during the Spanish Grand Prix. He narrated this story to Ben Hunt, who wrote about it in his book, ‘Lando Norris: A Biography’.

The weekend began on a tough note for the McLaren driver, after being diagnosed with tonsillitis just days before the race. As the weekend progressed, his symptoms got worse. By the time Sunday arrived, Norris was experiencing severe discomfort, dealing with cold sweats, fever, and aching muscles.

Hunt quoted him as saying, “My symptoms got progressively worse through that race weekend: cold sweats, fever, aching muscles. By Sunday, my throat was so sore it was like swallowing daggers. I could barely drink because it hurt so much.”

Lando Norris described one of his most difficult weekends in Formula 1 in Ben Hunt’s book ‘Lando Norris: A Biography’.#Formula1 #SpanishGP #McLaren pic.twitter.com/ub6cWThMnR

— Formula World (@F1_Grand_Prix) August 17, 2024

Despite these severe symptoms, Norris climbed into his McLaren MCL36 and started the race from 11th on the grid. He managed to complete the full 66 laps and finished in P8, a significant achievement given his condition.

Notably, he finished four places higher than his then-teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, who started ninth but failed to score any points.

Norris described how he spent his week leading up to the Monaco GP

After the race, Norris required medical attention and missed the usual post-race media sessions. Norris’s trainer and team doctor also stayed with him in his Monaco home, providing much-needed support during his recovery.

By Thursday, when his parents and his then-girlfriend, Luisinha Oliveira arrived, Norris was starting to feel better, although he still had to cancel his media commitments for the forthcoming Monaco GP due to his weakened condition.

Reflecting on their arrival, Norris said, “In the end, it turned into a magical weekend, and having my parents and my girlfriend staying with me made it all the more special.”

Instead of celebrating with champagne, which he dislikes, Norris chose to celebrate the occasion in a much calmer manner. “I cannot stand the stuff [champagne]. Instead, I went back to my flat and had a quiet night in, watching the Indy 500,” Norris shared.