Lando Norris Embraces Critics After First F1 Victory
Lando Norris achieved his maiden Formula One win at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month. Celebrating with close friend and reigning world champion Max Verstappen, Norris indulged in a 24-hour festivity which included two rounds of golf at Augusta National. Despite the revelry, he maintained he hadn't overdone it, impressively birdying the par-three 12th.
Following his victory, Norris faced criticism on social media. In an interview before the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, he acknowledged that he relished the negative comments, "I went through all the comments on social media, liking all the bad ones. One said: ‘this guy has won one race and his ego has gone through the roof’. I liked it, and I was like ‘yes, it has’.”
Norris explained his need to express confidence for the sake of his team, saying, "Mechanics, engineers, they read what I say. Winning motivates them. I don’t care if people reading it like it or not. I am only going to say what benefits me and the team.”
His newfound fame didn’t go unnoticed in Monaco when his vintage Lamborghini Miura needed a push-start from fans, which Norris attributed to his Miami success.
With his team perceived as the third-best on the grid, trailing only Red Bull and Ferrari, Norris remains optimistic about the future. He expressed confidence in McLaren's development rate and believes they could challenge for wins and possibly the title in the coming seasons.