Lando Norris loves the haters. We know it because he is reading – and relishing – every tweet that has accused him of being cocky after his first win grand prix win in Miami.
That night he partied with friend Max Verstappen and America’s leading sporting hedonists. He didn’t sleep that night, prior to a round at Augusta National. He birdied the par-three 12th, insisting he hadn’t overdone the revelry.
Another round amid the azaleas and then some R&R. In additional news, his Lamborghini Miura – worth minimally £1million – spluttered to a halt in Monaco. Passersby spotted him – his fame extended by his maiden triumph, he reasoned – and helpfully pushed him to a successful jump start. Meanwhile, he has ordered a replica of his winning silverware, which he says will go in an Ikea cabinet.
All the above is believable, other than for the Ikea bit.
But online he has attracted criticism for promising to take the fight to Red Bull and win again. In fact, he more than matched pal Verstappen for pace in Miami (even prior to the Dutchman damaging his car) and thus has reason for optimism. Many bored neutrals will hope he is right.
British star Lando Norris won his first grand prix with McLaren in Miami earlier this month
He celebrated his victory with his close friend and reigning world champion Max Verstappen
Norris also headed to Augusta National to celebrate his win with a round of golf
‘I went through all the comments “liking” all the bad ones,’ said Norris, picking an example: ‘“This guy has one won race and his ego has gone through the roof.” I was like, “Yes, it has.”
‘You can’t please everyone. And if I am not confident, people are like, “You have got no faith in the team.”
‘And then the minute I say we can win more races – which I had already said at the beginning of the year – people are like, “Calm down, hotshot.”
‘But I am also speaking on behalf of the team that I represent. I am not saying I can do anything now, that I am unbeatable, and I can do all of this.
‘Mechanics and engineers want to read what I say. I understand that now more than I used to a couple of years ago.
‘Winning motivates them more and me having confidence in them does the same.
‘I know it is better for me and better for my team.
‘I don’t care if people reading it like it or not. I am only going to say what benefits me the most and what benefits the team the most.’
That’s his argument, and you can like it or not.
Who will replace Hamilton?
Lewis Hamilton wants Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli to replace him at Mercedes next year. ‘I’d take on a youngster,’ he said at Imola, when asked if 29-year-old Carlos Sainz or the 17-year-old was the better of the two realistic candidates.
Carlos Sainz’s post-Ferrari destination is key to the driver market. If Toto Wolff wants youth in the Silver Arrow, Sainz would be in demand at Williams. The converse would be so if Wolff prefers F2’s Antonelli.
Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton could switch seats next year, with the Brit already confirmed to be joining Ferrari
But Hamilton has suggested that taking on a youngster like Kimi Antonelli (pictured) could be a better option for Mercedes
The Trump effect
A postscript to Donald Trump’s visit to the recent Miami Grand Prix.
He carried his Make America Great Again cap, which prompted former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer – who grew up in Detroit and who lives in Oxford – to recall that a friend of his to commission caps that read: ‘Make America Great Britain Again.’
My order’s in.
McLaren’s ode to Senna
A tour of the McLaren Technology Centre the other day. I’d seen before most of the 300 trophies in the cabinets next to the canteen.
Surely Ron Dennis, in his day as the king of the place, had a more convoluted name for the communal eating place than ‘canteen’. A ‘digestive rehabilitation centre’, or some similar tongue-twister.
What I hadn’t seen in situ before was the wonderful statue of Ayrton Senna, who died at Imola 30 years ago. Sculpted from 160kg of raw bronze by British artist Paul Oz to mark the 25th anniversary of the Brazilian’s death, it catches him exactly life-size, reclining in his seat, right foot to the floor, left-hand high, pelting through Eau Rouge.
Of Spa’s famous corner, Senna said: ‘If you take away Eau Rouge, you take away the reason I do this.’
Williams hang on to star man Albon
What he hopes will be a pivotal moment for Williams’ new team principal James Vowles: the re-signing of star driver Alex Albon this week.
The British-born Thai was coveted by Red Bull, but he has chosen to invest his faith in Williams, as they have their millions in him on a multi-year deal.
Albon is crucial to the Vowles project. James told me earlier in an airport lounge – the best spot for F1 gossip – that he was confident that he had Albon’s buy-in.
That’s been borne out and demonstrates the wisdom of him (Vowles) ensuring that when the team embarrassingly had only one functioning car in Melbourne after Albon’s smash in practice that it was his de facto No 1 driver who raced it rather than his (for once) blameless team-mate Logan Sargeant.
Vowles had his eye on the bigger picture: keeping hold of his main man.
Alex Albon has committed his future to Williams – a major coup for his team
Goodie bags go missing
It seems a few goodie bags intended for those who played a part in organising Sir Stirling Moss’s unforgettable memorial service at Westminster Abbey last week were pilfered by other guests.
Not all good news for the pilferers. An item in each bag was monogrammed. So ‘A Thief’ may be lumbered, for example, with an unfitting ‘DB’ for Derek Bell, who led some prayers during the service.
My generous view is that guests thought the bags were a goodbye gift for all.
I am happy to act as a conduit for those who wish to return the loot.
As for me, not guilty, M’Lud.
Bring the noise!
Stefano Domenicali has raised the prospect of louder engines for 2030. A good idea from the chief executive. F1 needs the most ear-splitting sound imaginable, which was the case until the V8s made way for the hybrid era.
Eddie Jordan took potential sponsors, who were quavering over whether to hand over thousands of pounds, down to the pits to cop an earful of what Ferrari’s former president Luca di Montezemolo called ‘music’.
We’ll see, in due course, what synthetic fuel can bring to the chorus.
Stefano Domenicali (pictured) has raised the prospect of louder engines in the future
‘AskMeAnything’… or not
Silence, genius at work. Somebody at the FIA thought it might be a good idea to launch a ‘AskMeAnything’ appeal on X/Twitter. ‘Drop your questions in and we’ll answer the best ones,’ they promised.
Now, perhaps they thought they would be inundated with queries about Angola’s grassroots karting development or a recent letter sent by the MENA region and ACTAC sub-region.
But no. A swathe were more along the lines of, ‘Why are you all a bunch of corrupt Red Bull sympathisers? And, ‘When are you going to rectify the robbery that was the 2021 world championship?’
Well, that worked out well.