Norris ‘never wanted dad to pay for F1 seat’

In brief

I never wanted dad to buy me an F1 drive – Norris

Norris’ father Adam had an estimated wealth of £200 million when his son Lando joined McLaren’s junior driver programme in 2017. But while the family funded Norris’ ascent to Formula 2, he says he wanted people to recognise his ability is the reason he reached the top and not make “comments of I’m in the position of where I am because of [my dad].”

“I never wanted him to pay for me to come into Formula 1,” Norris told the High Performance Podcast. “That was one goal. He could support me until Formula 1, or let’s say to Formula 2, to get to that point, give me those opportunities and so on.

“But I personally, as a feeling, I wouldn’t want to come into Formula 1 having to pay for it. [It was a] bit of a mentality thing, not have the mentality of ‘I’m not here because I don’t deserve it, I’m here because I’ve paid for it’. I never really wanted that at all.

“I feel much prouder to say that I’m here because McLaren brought me on and I was a McLaren junior driver. They brought me on, I got better, and then I was the official driver. It makes me much happier saying that then the opposite one.”

However Norris acknowledged he was fortunate to have more support earlier in his career than some of his rivals. “I have to know that to a certain extent I’m lucky for the opportunities that I got and the fact he could just support me into Formula 2 was already a lot more than the what people get. So, I also know that on the flip side.”

I’ve only urinated in an F1 car once – Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton says he’s only succumbed to the temptation to relieve himself during a grand prix once in his 340-race career.

“I never drink in the car, I just forget most of the time, so I usually have that weight taken out,” he told Hot Ones. “It’s only like 500ml. But other drivers, quite a lot of drivers as far as I’m aware, pee in the car.”

“I’ve drunk a lot before, so literally just before we get in the car, I go as many times as possible right at the last minute, but I just can’t bring myself to pee myself,” he said.

However he admitted “I have once, it was Singapore. It was like two or three years ago. The Safety Car came out and I was like, ‘I’m dying’. And honestly, when your bladder’s full with the G-Force…