Norris recalls terrifying scare in Miami sprint: ‘That was a first!’

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When you think of terrifying Formula 1 moments, you might imagine high-speed crashes, brake failures, or rain-slicked corners. For Lando Norris, however, one of his scariest experiences came courtesy of… a sneeze.

The McLaren star has confessed that a poorly timed burst of pollen-related chaos struck during the Miami Grand Prix Sprint event – leaving him momentarily blinded at the wheel of his MCL39.

The Miami Grand Prix weekend was already a wild ride, with mixed conditions turning Saturday’s Sprint race into a 100 km chaos-fest.

Fernando Alonso’s spectacular crash into the wall brought out the safety car, and Norris, leading the pack, was cruising along at a leisurely pace. Well, as leisurely as you can get in an F1 car.

But then, disaster nearly struck – not in the form of a rival’s overtake or a rogue tyre, but a tickle in the McLaren driver’s nose.

A Nose-Twitching Nightmare

Speaking on the recent Quadcast podcast, Norris spilled the beans on this unexpected pitfall.

“I did, actually,” he said when asked if he’d ever sneezed in his helmet. “Yeah. I mean, because you shut your eyes… I think it was under the safety car.

“I think it was Miami, it was under safety car. Fernando’s [Alonso] car was in the wall. We were under safety car, under double yellows. So you're going super slow, and you're really close to the guy in front.”

What sounds like a small problem quickly escalated into a heart-stopping moment.

“And you know when you just feel it coming? I’m like, ‘Oh my God,’ there’s a car just behind me. And I didn’t even have the reaction to hit the brakes, because your eyes just shut.

“I was scared I was going to get rear-ended. But yeah, I think it was honestly one of the first times that’s ever happened to me.”

A Sneeze, a Sprint, and a Victory

Fortunately, Norris survived the nasal ambush unscathed – and even went on to win the mad dash race, leading the field across the finish line under the safety car regime. Not a bad way to bounce back from one of the strangest scares of his career.

Read also:

Norris: ‘Only emotional moment’ in F1 came with Monaco pole

A year after claiming his first-ever Formula 1 victory at the same circuit, Norris once again left Miami with silverware – though this time, the most memorable part of his weekend might just be the sneeze that almost caused a pile-up.

Moral of the story? Forget rain, rivals, or rogue strategy calls – in Formula 1, even a sneeze can be a serious hazard.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.