F1 drivers love speed, which doesn’t come as a surprise since they drive the fastest cars in the world for a living. But their love for racing as a whole drives them to explore other avenues of motorsport, or at least dream about them. Lando Norris, for one, loves the idea of rallying, but despite recent claims that he has tested cars from that discipline, he insists he simply doesn’t have the time.
The rumor began with Peter Windsor, a former F1 manager turned content creator, who ‘spilled the beans’ in a YouTube video with Cameron F1, another creator.
Windsor said, “I know Norris is a serious fan of the WRC [World Rally Championship]. And I hope I don’t reveal too many secrets when I say he’s already driven WRC cars.” His statement generated a lot of buzz, with Norris tipped to make an appearance in off-road racing sometime in the near future.
according to peter windsor, lando is the mystery formula 1 driver who has been testing rally cars away from his f1 duties.
“i know lando is a serious WRC fan and hope i’m not giving away too many secrets here when i say i know he’s out in WRC cars and he’s unbelievably good.” pic.twitter.com/NNCyfVmroy
— ray (@ln4norris) April 16, 2025
However, the Briton had to step in and explain why it would have been impossible for him to do what Windsor had suggested.
“I really wanted to come in here and say, ‘Yeah, it’s true’, but it’s not,” the McLaren driver said per Motorsport Week. “I said a couple of years ago, I’m not allowed. Zak Brown doesn’t let me drive rally cars, probably for a good reason”
Norris, however, added that he would love to take part in rallying someday and admitted he has a lot of respect for those who compete in the series. This leaves the door open for a potential rally appearance someday for the Bristol-born driver.
As for why Brown won’t allow Norris to compete in other racing disciplines right now, it likely comes down to wanting him focused on his F1 commitments and avoiding any injuries that could derail his career. It’s the same reason Red Bull won’t let Max Verstappen, another driver passionate about rallying, pursue ventures in that discipline.
That said, Norris was not happy with Windsor.
He didn’t take the 73-year-old’s name, but called out content creators in general, for spreading misinformation.
“It’s so weird how people come up with such things in the media. That’s how terrible it is sometimes, rather than just asking me before publishing things.,” the 25-year-old pleaded. And after confirming that he would love to ‘tick off’ the rallying checkbox someday, Norris added, “Hopefully that can become a headline at some point and can become the truth.”
