World champion Lando Norris swapped asphalt for ice—together with Oliver Solberg, the McLaren star tested a rally monster in Sweden.
Just in time for the start of the new Formula 1 season in Australia, Lando Norris swapped the racetrack for a frozen lake. The current world champion got behind the wheel of a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 for an event organized by his sponsor Monster Energy in Sweden.
He was joined by prominent figures from the world of rallying: former world champion Petter Solberg and his son Oliver Solberg, who won the 2026 Monte Carlo Rally in January. The latter acted as an instructor for Norris and showed him how to push the GR Yaris Rally2 to its limits—the same car that Solberg used to win the WRC2 title last year.
It’s no secret that Norris has a soft spot for rallying. Back in 2022, he stated in an interview with Motorsport.com that he definitely wanted to try his hand at this discipline. Solberg promptly invited him to test one of his cars.
The two have a close connection:
Oliver Solberg is part of the athlete squad at “Quadrant,” the gaming and lifestyle company founded by Norris. In 2024, the two visited each other at Silverstone, where Solberg accompanied Norris in the McLaren supercar around the Grand Prix circuit.
Crashes included: “You have to seek out the limit”
When the drivers swapped places in Sweden, Norris initially took the passenger seat before taking the wheel of the Rally2 car himself. “I’m still learning, it’s a completely different driving style,” Norris admits in the Monster Energy video. “I’ve driven on ice before, but only in road cars. Oliver is helping me understand the whole thing. It’s really cool.”
However, the adventure did not go entirely without incident: “We went off the track a few times, but that’s part of it,” smiles Oliver Solberg. “You have to find the limit, he did a good job.”
Petter Solberg impressed: “Couldn’t catch up with him”
Veteran Petter Solberg, who followed Norris in a Volkswagen Polo Rally2, was also impressed by the Formula 1 star’s qualities: “It was an incredible event. I’m really impressed with how Lando pushed at the end. I was driving behind him and couldn’t get any closer—he was really damn good.”
However, the adventure did not go entirely without incident: “We went off the track a few times, but that’s part of it,” smiles Oliver Solberg. “You have to push the limits, and he did a good job.”
Petter Solberg impressed: “I couldn’t catch up with him”
Former champion Petter Solberg, who followed Norris in a Volkswagen Polo Rally2, was also impressed by the Formula 1 star’s qualities: “It was an incredible event. I’m really impressed with how Lando pushed at the end. I was driving behind him and couldn’t get any closer – he was really damn good.”
Norris is not the only Formula 1 driver to have recently taken to the rally seat. Max Verstappen tested Sebastien Ogier’s Ford Fiesta WRC for a Red Bull video, while Lance Stroll drove a Citroen C3 Rally2 on gravel in Portugal last year.