Lando Norris Recalls the Day He Almost Won Daytona 24 With Fernando Alonso Before F1 Debut

The 63rd 24 Hours of Daytona is right around the corner as the 2025 IMSA Sports Car championship kicks off this weekend. As a racing driver and motorsport fan, Lando Norris is excited for yet another rendition of this spectacle.

On the occasion of the race, the Briton’s Instagram page LN4 took a stroll down memory lane, back to 2018, when he made his Daytona debut alongside Fernando Alonso in the Prototype Class (LMP2).

The post’s caption read, “There’s a big sportscar race this weekend, the 24 Hours of Daytona. To celebrate, here’s a throwback to when Lando raced it in 2018.” In the comments, it was also revealed that Norris even led his class for a few laps during his night stint in the rain.

 

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It must’ve been a surreal experience for Norris to lead one of the most prestigious races in the world. Even though his joy was short-lived, it was clearly something he still holds close to his heart. Norris did not win that evening. But he certainly came close to doing so.

Only a year later, Norris would make his full-time F1 debut with McLaren. But it was his exploits at Daytona that had put the #4 driver on the radar of the world as the then 18-year-old had only just completed his F3 season.

Zak Brown, Alonso, and Norris almost tasted glory

Norris and Alonso teamed up with British driver Phil Hanson in the #23 Ligier LMP2 car in the Prototype Class backed by McLaren CEO Zak Brown‘s United Autosports entry. Alonso was the first to drive it and made some solid headway.

Then came Norris, who took over the evening to night shift. That’s when the heavens broke loose, making the job even more difficult for Norris, who had been tasked with competing in the first Daytona outing in treacherous conditions.

Norris, however, was unfazed. Despite being in an LMP2 car—with faster DPi cars up ahead—he started lapping quickest in the field. By the time his stint ended and he rolled into the pits, he was first in class.

Alas, Disaster struck for the #23 United Autosports Ligier from there onwards. Hanson suffered a puncture during his stint and Alonso’s subsequent stint was plagued with brake issues that took them out of the running for an out-and-out win. The team finished over 90 laps behind the winners Mustang Sampling Racing, 13th in class and 38th overall. But Norris’ race craft left many, including Alonso in awe of the teenager.

He was quoted as saying, “Even in wet conditions, [on his] first time in a prototype car, at Daytona, on Continental tires, he recovered 33 seconds in 20 laps, something like that. He is 18-years-old, so that’s quite impressive.”

Fast forward to 2025 and Norris is heading into the F1 season—still with McLaren—as one of the favorites to win the Drivers’ Championship.