Lando Norris Forced to Wean Off His Addiction Just to Be Competitive in F1

Lando Norris is one of the many F1 drivers who loves playing golf and uses it as a method to blow off steam. However, as per a recent report by Speedcafe, Norris revealed that he had to cut down on golfing due to a peculiar trait of the current generation of F1 cars.

Golf has been an essential part of Norris’ life for quite a long time. In a GQ Sports video about the ten things Norris cannot live without, the young Briton described himself as a ‘massive golfing nut.’

Norris had proudly claimed, “I would say there are few people in the world who are addicted to golf as much as me, and I’m pretty sure that’s a fact.” However, with the current F1 cars that are designed under the new regulations that came into effect in 2022, Norris has had to give up on golfing to be competitive.

Lando Norris reveals how he is managing his back pain issues

The new 2022 regulations brought background effects to the cars, which means that the cars that can run lowest to the ground will experience the highest amount of downforce. This poses a major problem for the drivers, as the cars have much stiffer suspensions now, which leads to the bottom of the car impacting the ground regularly.

Norris: “Now I’m in a much better position but I’m also limiting a lot more things around it, you know, doing more stretching all those things.

Even like golf, I’m playing a lot less golf just because of my back.”

[via: @speedcafe]

— McLaren F1 News 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇦🇺 (@TheMcLarenZone) September 7, 2023

This takes a huge toll on the back of the drivers, but there is no other way around it, as the only other way is to compromise on performance. As per a report by Speedcafe, Norris started working with a physio to get some help regarding this issue. He also had to adjust his lifestyle beyond racing.

Norris said, “I’m limiting a lot more things around it, you know, doing more stretching all those things. Even like golf, I’m playing much less just because of my back.” However, even then, Norris has revealed that he has been suffering from issues related to his back for quite some time.

Norris might be ruled out from Netflix’s latest venture

With his back injury, Norris might not be able to be a part of Netflix’s latest venture, where they are trying to bring together F1 and golf. The streaming giant is set to host a celebrity golf tournament, and most of the participants were supposed to be from the cast of Drive to Survive – or, in other words, the F1 drivers.

Netflix has tried to break into the sports market for quite a while and has enjoyed success with shows like Drive to Survive, Full Swing, and BreakPoint. Now, the conglomerate is also looking to delve into the world of Live Sports Streaming, which has already been done by its competitor, Amazon Prime Video.