A recent rumor surfaced about McLaren driver Lando Norris: in addition to his Formula 1 commitments, the Brit was also allegedly participating in secret rally tests. Former journalist Peter Windsor claimed that Norris has a lot of talent for rally racing. A nice compliment, although we now know that this is not true. Norris recently explained that he is not allowed to drive rally tests by McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
“Norris is a serious fan of the WRC (World Rally Championship),” Windsor said in a YouTube interview with Cameron Cc. “And I hope I’m not revealing too many secrets when I say he’s already driven WRC cars,” he added with a grin. “He’s incredibly good.” Norris was later asked by Motorsportweek if he had actually driven rally tests. The 25-year-old driver admitted that he would like to try off-road racing, but that it is currently not compatible with his career in Formula 1.
‘Not allowed by Zak Brown’
“I would have liked to say: ‘Yes, it’s true’, but it’s not,” said Norris. “I said a few years ago that it’s not allowed. Zak Brown won’t let me drive rally tests – probably for a good reason,” Norris referred to the associated dangers. “Of course, I’ve often said that I would like to. I have a lot of respect for rally drivers. They’re crazy, but I would love to try it once. It’s something completely different from what I’m doing now.”
The Brit then criticized the spread of misinformation in the media. “It’s so strange how people just make up such things and then release them,” Norris continued sternly. “That’s how bad it can be. You could just ask me before you publish something.” Norris finally hoped that the media could actually report on his rally tests in the future. “It’s something else I would like to check off, experience and try,” he said. “So hopefully there will be headlines in the future that simply tell the truth.”
