Lando Norris, known for enjoying golf in his free time, was recently asked to pick three drivers from the F1 grid to join his team. One of his choices was Max Verstappen, his championship rival, who isn’t often associated with the sport and isn’t normally seen playing it.
Norris shared this during a ‘Getting to Know’ session with journalist Mike Seymour. As it turns out, the McLaren driver had specific plans for Verstappen in his golf team, which involved keeping him away from the golf club entirely.
Verstappen would be a member simply because of his “vibe.” Furthermore, the Bristol-born driver detailed what other duties the defending F1 champ could fulfill.
“I’ll have Max [Verstappen], just for the vibe. He won’t be allowed to hold a golf club or anything… He can get the drinks and that kind of thing.”
Norris continued to tease the Red Bull driver, joking that Verstappen could drive the buggy and act as his caddie during the tournament. He added that Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll would be the other two drivers making the cut.
max: most important question, are we playing padel next week?
lando: yeah, should i book it already? a bit of golf?
max: i can be your caddie. i can’t hit a ball man, i’ll be there for the drinks!i love this duo
pic.twitter.com/xDQOon8YyZ— ray (@ln4norris) May 18, 2024
Both Stroll and Sainz are skilled golfers, unlike Verstappen. Sainz, in particular, spends a lot of time on the golf course, and Norris admitted he rarely manages to beat him.
Still, Norris did not want to exclude Verstappen, whom he considers one of his closest friends on the grid.
Verstappen one of Norris’ closest counterparts
Since making his F1 debut, Norris has teamed up with Daniel Ricciardo, Sainz, and now Oscar Piastri. While he developed a good rapport with all of them, becoming especially close to Sainz, none share a bond with Norris that goes as far back as his friendship with Verstappen.
Verstappen and Norris is a teammate partnership I’d seriously love to see
Max is generational but to me, there’s no doubt that in some races Lando on pure pace would be faster and he’d push for the title
(It almost gives me the vibes of Rosberg Hamilton in terms of competitiveness) pic.twitter.com/SGCtZ2Yx1x
— Aldas (@Aldas001) October 20, 2022
Speaking to Seymour, Norris explained how he and Verstappen go way back, having known each other for over a decade. Although they’ve never worked together, they’ve always maintained a strong relationship.
Being in F1 means their friendship is often tested. Earlier this year, after a collision in Austria, a furious Norris stated he would lose respect for Verstappen if he didn’t apologize. Many thought it would strain their bond, but they resolved their differences in less than a week and quickly returned to normal.
