The 24-year-old McLaren driver, who clinched his first Formula 1 victory in Miami on May 5, ran into a snag when he decided to take his beloved sports car Miura for a spin in the Mediterranean principality.
During a press conference at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Thursday, the British driver mentioned that he has been getting more attention since his Miami win. However, he continues to go out for meals and drives as he always has.
The Miura, manufactured by Lamborghini from 1966 to 1973, is a highly prized possession. Unfortunately, its rare beauty and exorbitant price do not align with its reliability.
“It didn’t start,” shared Norris, who is widely regarded as one of the most popular drivers and whose car collection has been gaining recognition on social media. “But then fans recognized me and pushed my car, starting it downhill. So I was extremely grateful,” he chuckled.
“Maybe if I hadn’t won the race, they wouldn’t have noticed me and wouldn’t have helped to start it. Those are the benefits of life. People can help start your car, especially the Miura. That kind of thing.”
Norris also addressed his response to critics on social media who have shifted their focus from mocking him as ‘Lando No-Wins’ to discussing his aspirations of winning titles in F1.
“I read all the comments and liked all the negative ones,” he smiled. “One comment said, ‘this guy only won one race and his ego skyrocketed.’ I liked it. I thought, ‘yeah, it did skyrocket’.”
“You can’t please everyone. I read the comments because I try not to be on anyone’s bad side. But if I don’t have confidence, people say, ‘you don’t have faith in the team’.”
“And at the moment when I express that we can win more races, which I already stated at the beginning of the year, people say: ‘calm down, big shot’,” highlighted the British driver.
Norris clarified that he is not being arrogant or considering himself invincible. Instead, he intends to motivate his engineers, mechanics, and teammates.
“They want to read what I say. And now I understand that more than a few years ago,” he explained. “Winning motivates them, and my confidence in them motivates them even more, so I need to choose my words wisely.” (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)
