For Lando Norris, the 2020 season opener in Austria was special, because it was his first-ever podium finish. However, there was another incident that made the weekend memorable for him. It was McLaren CEO Zak Brown who put Norris in a sticky situation, that he might never forget.
Norris was in the middle of an interview with Sky Sports’ Simon Lazenby after qualifying, where he finished P3. Brown, however, who was on the phone, interrupted and handed it over the Norris. “Here’s Lando,” said Brown to the person he was speaking to.
As it turns out, the American boss was talking to the Crown Prince of Bahrain. Startled, Norris proceeded to have the most awkward conversation with him. “Hello hello, how are you? I’m live on TV. This is a problem. Zak always causing issues,” Norris said.
Lazenby being a reporter, asked Norris if the live feed could catch what they were talking about. Norris, however, denied this request.
Casually taking a call from the Crown Prince of Bahrain during an interview…
Just another day at the office for @LandoNorris! #SkyF1 | #F1 | @McLarenF1 pic.twitter.com/dV5STNmQoP
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 4, 2020
The Bristol-born driver took the Crown Prince’s congratulations and joked that Brown would have done a better job at communication. Meanwhile, in the background, Lazenby jested about him getting a call from the Queen of the UK – an overall memorable weekend for all involved.
Norris created history in Austria
Norris qualified and ended the 2020 Austrian GP in P3 but the podium result was record-breaking because it made him the youngest British driver to ever finish an F1 race in the top three.
He also became the third-youngest driver ever to get a podium result, behind only Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll.
Lando Norris looks back on his first-ever podium finish in Austria in 2020
Join us, for our latest episode of Through The Visor! #AustrianGP #F1 @LandoNorris
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 7, 2022
After the positive outcome of the race in Spielberg, Norris stated, “I’m speechless. There could be nothing better for the entire team, especially after this difficult period.”
Since then, McLaren has made major strides. They are challenging for wins and podiums in almost every race. Norris is the lead driver at the Woking-based and is tipped to win the World title if Mclaren continues performing well.
