Lando Norris prides himself on reaching F1 thanks to his talent, insisting he never would have wanted his father's financial backing to pave his way to motorsport’s elite.
Adam Norris, a successful businessman and investor who built his fortune in the world of finance, encouraged his son’s interest in racing from an early age which was first in motorbikes before moving to four wheels and karting.
Norris Sr funded the McLaren charger’s early efforts during his formative years in the sport, up until he reached Formula 2, allowing him to focus entirely on honing his skills without the usual monetary pressures young drivers face.
In 2017, Norris was recruited by McLaren for its young driver programme, a move that eventually led to his graduation to F1 in 2019 at the age of 19.
While his father’s financial support during his junior years was instrumental, Norris was also keen on people recognizing that it was first and foremost his ability that earned him a place on McLaren’s coveted mentorship programme.
And he would not have wanted to have it any other way.
“I never wanted him to pay for me to come into Formula 1,” Norris said on a recent episode of the High Performance Podcast. “That was like 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.”
At 24, Norris is already in his sixth season in F1 with McLaren, having built for himself a track record that includes 17 podiums and one race win – his triumph last month in the Miami Grand Prix.
For all his merits linked to his talent and hard work, Norris recognizes the privileges bestowed upon him by his father’s fortune.
“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.”
©McLaren
Norris also praises his parents for keeping him “grounded” during his upbringing and mercurial success on the track.
“The one thing my mum and dad have done very well, I would say, is keeping me grounded and live the life as normally as possible, not get carried away in any way,” he explained.
“I can say I’m privileged, but not in the way that I get whatever I want. There are a lot of things that my dad have given to me – or I’ll say invested in me.
“I’ll need to pay back that investment and reward him, and use what he’s given me to show it’s all been useful and not a waste of time.”
“My parents have been very good in keeping me in that state.”
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