Lando Norris seems to joke about his F1 rival in a wild nightclub video after a tough Singapore GP weekend.
Lando Norris has faced some criticism for making a joke about another F1 driver while partying just hours after the Singapore Grand Prix. The McLaren driver finished fourth in the race, behind Kimi Antonelli in third, Charles Leclerc in second, and winner Max Verstappen.
Norris had a tough weekend, starting with a clash with a reporter after the Sprint race. During the Sprint, he accidentally bumped into his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri’s front-left wheel at Turn 5. This caused Piastri to drop out of the Sprint, while Norris finished eighth.
“Sorry about that. I didn’t mean for it to happen,” Norris said after the Sprint. “I thought I was alongside, but I ran out of space at the corner. We’ll look into it.”
A Dutch journalist then asked Norris if the move was “unnecessary,” and Norris replied sharply, “What, to go for a big gap?” When the journalist explained it was a sprint race, Norris snapped back, “What’s after sprint? Race. It’s a race.” Some fans thought his response sounded a bit rude on social media.
After Sunday’s main race, Norris admitted, “I shouldn’t have tried that move. I need to think more about the team than myself. It was a mistake, and I’ve apologized to the team. We’ll do better next time.”
Later that night, Norris was under the spotlight again when he made a joke about Lance Stroll at a nightclub. When someone held up a sign saying “To the best driver,” Norris loudly asked, “Where’s Lance? Where’s Lance?”
Stroll has had a tough season, with no points yet and missing the Singapore race, his 11th DNF this year and fifth in the last six races.
Fans quickly reacted online. One said, “His PR team must be working overtime.” Another wrote, “Sure, he’s not the best driver, but some things should be kept private out of respect.” Others defended Norris, saying it’s fun to see him be himself and speak honestly, while some think there should be no double standards about comments made publicly.
F1 is back in action at the United States Grand Prix on October 25.