Before Lando Norris found his way to Formula 1, he wanted something completely different: his heart was set on motorcycles—and his idol was Valentino Rossi
McLaren driver Lando Norris gave an insight into his motorsport past at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh. And it all started on two wheels. Before he decided to pursue a career in Formula 1, his heart actually belonged to motorcycles.
“I actually wanted to continue with motorcycles. That’s what I started with,” the 25-year-old explained on stage in Saudi Arabia. “I tried horse riding first, but I hated it. Then I tried a quad bike, but my father sold it. He said it had been stolen, but in reality he just thought it was too dangerous. After that, I got into motocross.”
Norris still raves about that time today: “I loved dirt motorsports. Motorcycles, motocross, quads – all of that before I had ever even seen a Formula 1 race. For me, buggies and desert racing were the coolest things in the world. My hero was Valentino Rossi. He was the one I looked up to.”
Today, Norris has long since made his mark in car racing and is among the frontrunners in Formula 1. He is currently just nine points behind his teammate Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ standings. Both are fighting for their first world title this season and are engaged in a thrilling internal team duel.
In an interview with Racer, Norris explained how much the past few years have shaped him: “Experience is key. You learn to deal with more situations, you understand your team better, and they understand you better. That just makes you better prepared.”
But experience alone is not enough, as he emphasizes: “It’s also about whether you can really drive faster, whether you can manage the tires better. Those are the more difficult things. Especially for Oscar, in his third year, a lot of that only comes with time.“
Norris himself currently feels he is at the peak of his career: ”I think I say this in every interview now, but I’m more complete than ever before. I’m ready to take on bigger challenges.”
But it’s not a walk in the park: “You’re still racing against the best drivers in the world, who are just as fast as you are. So it doesn’t get any easier, but you’re better prepared. And that’s exactly what helps you show more of your potential.”
