Lando Norris recently turned a year older as he celebrated his 24th birthday on the 13th of November. However, the McLaren driver carried quite an introspective mood as he spoke to the TODAY show regarding his thoughts on his birthday.
Norris opened up, “I’m scared. I’m growing up.” He said, “I mean, the last, my last five years have gone extremely quickly since joining Formula 1.” The McLaren star claimed that he feels it has just been a week since he has stepped into the world of F1.
lando on turning 24: “i’m scared.. i’m growing up!” ☹️🫶🏼 pic.twitter.com/KcQx5w1Uqn
— Ray 🏎️ (@ln4norris) November 13, 2023
When asked if being in F1 has made him more mature than the average 24 year old, Norris claimed that he still feels like a kid in many aspects. The Briton explained that he has been involved in racing ever since he was a 7 year old kid, therefore he has had to travel the world participating in karting, racing and what not.
Norris acknowledged the privileged position he holds as one of the twenty drivers that gets to race in the pinnacle of motorsports. He commented that it is a good life but quite a different one from normal people. But he is ready to make that sacrifice in order to maintain the privilege that he enjoys.
However, Norris also spoke about the downsides of being involved in motorsports from an age that young. He explained that he has had limited experiences in things which do not pertain to racing in general.
Lando Norris receives a special gift from McLaren
McLaren made sure that Lando Norris remembers his 24th birthday for quite a long time as they offered him an extremely rare and memorable gift. Norris was given the opportunity to take Alain Prost’s 1984 McLaren MP4/2 for a spin.
Something we have all been waiting for! Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) takes to the Sonoma Raceway in Alain Prost #McLaren MP4/2 #gwflatout #VelocityInvitational pic.twitter.com/bHpgj4haLT
— Goodwood Road & Racing (@GoodwoodRRC) November 12, 2023
The celebratory event was organised on the Sonoma Raceway where Norris took the seat of the legendary car that won 12 of the 16 races of the 1984 season. It was even more special as McLaren are celebrating their 60th anniversary, making it an unique experience for any new F1 driver.
Alain Prost managed to win four F1 world championship, three of them with McLaren, engraving his name into the history books as one of the F1 greats. The 1984 car is even special as the season had seen one of the greatest teammate duels between Prost and Niki Lauda, with the latter managing to win the title by half a point.
