Norris is ready for his first home grand prix as a world champion: “It’s pretty damn cool”
- Bo Helmus
- 2 hours ago
- 8 min read
Written by Bo Helmus
Silverstone is the home race for a lot of drivers, but for Lando Norris, it’s special. It will be his first home race as the reigning world champion. On top of that, he won the British Grand Prix last year. He has had a rough start of the season, with only two podium-finishes so far, but that won’t distract him from enjoying the vibes of the fans in England.
“[It’s] Pretty damn cool,” is how Norris starts his interview. “I mean, every year here is cool, honestly, so the championship isn’t the thing that makes it much better or much worse. It’s just always a pleasure, always a joy to drive in front of your home fans, friends, family, the whole lot, and team as well, so I’ve always loved it.
“I’ve always enjoyed it since 2019, my first time here, but of course now and after last year, winning both the race and, of course, the championship, then I can almost just come here a little bit more relaxed, to not feel like there’s pressure to have to win my first home Grand Prix, but there’s more want from inside to try and win it the second time.”
Fans make the race special
Norris knows how to treat his fans right. He has a special grandstand in Stowe that he’s really happy with: “Yeah, the Landostand, it looks amazing. I can’t wait, honestly, to see it in the car tomorrow. It’s going to hopefully distract everyone, it’s that bright. And I’ve got an extra- tinted visor just for getting through Stowe.”
“It’s a lot bigger, a lot better than it was last season. The grandstand is huge. I went there this morning to already see everyone that was there, with the store, and just a lot more hospitality for people, some music, some DJs, things like that. So, I just want everyone that’s there, everyone who’s here to support me, to have a good time and enjoy it even when we’re not actually on track driving.”
“It’s special, because I still see myself as just a kid that wants to go racing and enjoy driving, but at the same time have the whole unbelievable extra, which is a fan base and supporters and all of this. And when I see all of this come together, and feeling like that normal kid, then it’s just quite unbelievable, honestly, to see the size of it and see how many people are here to support me. It’s something I’ve dreamt of.”
Getting results
But will Norris be able to treat his fans to some cheers in the grandstands? He isn’t sure: “Honestly, I have no idea. I’d just rather wait and see how we’re going to do. I don’t think, actually, that [the] Red Bull Ring was that much worse than Spain. I think you just had a few other cars in the mix. We were quicker than the Ferraris on Sunday, slower than the Red Bulls.”
“So things change around us at the minute, but we’re just simply not where we want to be. So I think we’re probably not coming in quite as optimistic as we were this time last year, but we’re still optimistic that we want to aim for a podium and we still want to get two cars high up there and in the points. And of course, personally, that’s something I would like to achieve this weekend too.”
Norris isn’t sure he can repeat what he did last year, but he won’t give up the fight: “I’ll just say yes, for the sake of it. I’ll say yes to give them hope. You don’t need to be a scientist to realise we’re not in the same position as we were last year. So to be confident in repeating such a thing I think is very tough to do.
“But it’s always your home race where you want to do better than ever. And Silverstone has been actually a pretty good track for us over the last X-amount of years. So certainly I want to say yes, that they give me the energy. They certainly make it more exciting and they certainly make me want to put on the best show I possibly can for them. So, for the sake of a headline you put, I’ll say yes.”
Being the best
The 26-year-old reflects on how his life changed when he became world champion: “Every year you spend in Formula 1, things get cooler and better and you have more fans and supporters. And that’s always something I’ve enjoyed, especially here. I said it this morning to someone else, it’s really the place that makes you feel like you belong here. And you kind of feel that, I guess, in other places when you see your fans and support, but it’s hard to go out and see all of this and not feel like you want to be here forever in some ways. And that’s a very special feeling.
“So since last year, maybe I have some more fans and more supporters and things like that. And apart from that, you get noticed in the streets more and things like that. People seem to care more about your personal life than the actual work that you do, but that’s just the world that we live in. And I don’t want anything to change, honestly. Even if I win one or five or 10, I’m very happy.
“I like to have my personal life and spend it with my friends and go golfing and travel and spend time with my family and my brother and my sisters, many different places. I like to enjoy my life outside of Formula 1, and I feel like I live a very incredible life. And I’m very lucky that I have the life that I have already, honestly. Whether it’s one, three, five, whatever it’s going to be in the future, I’m happy as it is now.”
New cars, old track
Silverstone is an iconic track. How will these new cars hold up? Norris is optimistic: “We’ll see. I think actually Sunday will be exciting. On the outside, I think it will be great. Certainly there’s going to be less challenges on the track itself compared to what you’ve seen in the past few years.
“We’ve gone from some of the fastest cars in high speed and things like that last year and a few years ago to certainly this year being a little bit less of a challenge. Copse will certainly not be quite the same challenge it was over the last few years. Maggots, Becketts, maybe not quite the same challenge, but it’ll still be quick. I think it’ll still be good to watch.
“And I think the most important thing is I think Sunday will still be exciting from a spectator point of view. Inside the car, it might not feel exactly the same and exactly as we want as drivers, pushing through Copse and feeling like you’re on the limit there and on the limits through Maggots and Becketts.
“You’re still going to have some zones where you’re decelerating for longer periods than what you would like, but that’s just reality of what we have nowadays. And they’ve still tried to make some improvements to make it better even into this weekend, lately. So, it will still be good. It’s still Silverstone. We’re still in Formula One. So in the end of the day, we can’t complain too much.”
Heritage-inspired livery
McLaren will run a special livery this weekend to celebrate their heritage at the British Grand Prix. Norris likes it: “It’s special. We always obviously try and do special things, but it’s special because it’s Bruce’s first car. So it feels more like just an honour that we get to relive this and kind of bring it back to life, and also I think showcase it, because not many people know that the first car Bruce had was the white, green and grey.
“Obviously, we try to put a bit more of a modern twist on it, but it’s not papaya. So, it’s cool that I’m one of the drivers that gets to kind of relive that and throw it back to the beginning of the McLaren story, which is something very special. And touch wood, generally we have good races when we have liveries on and things like that, and especially for me. So, it’s cool that we’re doing something different as well.”
It won’t change that much for Norris, though: “Actually, both me and Oscar are pretty fussy with visually what we see as drivers. So actually what we have around the cockpit quite often stays the same. So when you’re inside the car, we don’t actually notice too many changes from the outside.”
LEGO race
The driver parade at Silverstone will look a bit different from what it usually looks like. The LEGO race is back. Norris is looking forward to it: “I’m pretty excited for it, actually!” He has a strategy ready: “Everyone’s driving! I don’t know much more. If it’s like Miami, of course, then I think whoever can make it back to the start line will be a winner already. So, I think it’s a cool thing to do.
“It’s different. It’s nice to, obviously when you’re all together and you can have a little chitchat and see the fans when you’re on the truck. But I think it’s nice to do something different every now and then. So as long as it’s safe and we all behave, which we shall, then it will be a jolly good ride.”
His own brand
Norris has his own clothing brand LN4. This weekend, there is a pop-up stand on track. The Brit is very involved with the company: “I run the whole thing! I do it all: manufacturing, design, social and driving,” he jokes. “No, I have a very good team around me to help me do all of these things.
“It was only, what, three or four years ago, I didn’t really have a brand, let’s say. Didn’t have design, colour, personality, that was almost shareable through clothing, media. Hard to tell any story through anything, whereas now we do. And that’s something I’ve always been very excited for and always looked forward to putting together and slowly seeing it coming together and expanding over the years.
“From the Landstand last year, I think it’s almost over doubled what it was last year. So, I have a very good team around me that support me in all of these things and also are able to understand this world very well. I’m good at the driving part and really that’s about it. I leave the rest of it to them. But I’m always involved in terms of designs and schemes and storytelling and understanding what really the fans want at the end of the day. I enjoy being part of it.
“I wouldn’t say I’m the leader of any of these situations, but I enjoy just being involved because it’s my thing. It’s still me at the end of the day. So, you have to be able to give my personality, my colours through a range that people can enjoy and my fans and my supporters can enjoy. And that’s something always to look forward to, for sure.”
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