In March 2024, Lando Norris appeared on a ‘Chicken Shop Date’ to answer some of Amelia Dimoldenberg’s questions. While here, the McLaren driver was (jokingly) told what the reason behind his not winning races was. Since then, the British driver has ironically been extremely efficient with his performances, as pointed out by F1 journalist, Nate Saunders.
Providing a statistical update on X (formerly Twitter), Saunders revealed how Norris had been on the podium for 75% of the races since his ‘date.’ The stat is reflective of the good luck that has sided with the 24-year-old, who eventually went on to win his first-ever F1 race at the 110th time of asking.
Lando Norris has been on the podium at 75% of races since he appeared on Chicken Shop Date
— Nate Saunders (@natesaundersF1) May 6, 2024
Lando Norris’ first podium came in Australia a day after the Chicken Shop Date episode aired on YouTube. Failing to secure a podium finish in Japan, the McLaren driver returned to the top three with a P2 finish in China. Then, in Miami, the Briton finally broke his duck to win his maiden F1 race, over five years after his debut.
While Amelia Dimoldenberg seemingly had a role to play in Norris’ win, she wasn’t the only good luck charm for him. Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, NBA star Jimmy Butler sat in a car with the Briton for a hot lap around the track.
Following the session, the Miami Heat player predicted that the 24-year-old would soon win a race in F1. Little did anyone know that the following Sunday would be the day it happened, especially after a long string of podium finishes.
Lando Norris finally stands on the top step of the podium
With several podiums under his belt, Lando Norris was coming under increasing fire for not winning any race. Many wanted him to convert a podium finish into a race win just to avoid entering an unfortunate list of records. By winning the race in Miami, Norris has taken himself off the list of drivers with the most race starts without a win.
Nico Hulkenberg is on top of the list with 208 races. Meanwhile, former world champion Jenson Button also ranks higher than Lando Norris, as he had to wait for 113 races for a win.
Ahead of the race in Miami, Sky Sports F1 even aired a video on YouTube where the #4 McLaren driver took a lie detector test. While here, Norris predicted his future as he claimed he was confident of winning a race in 2024.
Revealing he was fed up with not believing in himself or the McLaren car, Norris opted to “switch things up.” Often called out for his self-critical approach, and the changed belief of Norris seems to have done him wonders, with fans hoping for many more such performances from him.
