Smedley fires back at Norris critics: ‘He’s the real deal’

Lando Norris may be Formula 1’s reigning world champion, but Rob Smedley believes the McLaren driver is still being judged through a distorted lens — one that focuses on privilege, personality and social media rather than the brutal realities of elite motorsport.

The former Ferrari race engineer has delivered a sharp defence of Norris, insisting the Briton is far tougher than many outsiders give him credit for and warning against dismissing his achievements.

Smedley’s comments came after Norris produced one of the standout recovery drives of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, charging from a 10-place grid penalty to seventh at Spa before backing it up with a commanding victory in Hungary, his first win of the 2026 season.

‘He still has to do the business’

Speaking on the High Performance Racing podcast, Smedley argued that Norris continues to carry an unfair reputation within parts of the paddock.

“When you wander around the paddock, and you chat to people, I think that he gets a bit of a bad rap,” Smedley said.

“It’s always like, ‘Oh, Lando had this amazing junior career and therefore…’ and he did. Amazing in terms of how well-funded his junior career was. I think he had everything. But he still arrived here now, and he still has to do the business.”

Smedley was particularly dismissive of the suggestion that financial backing somehow diminishes Norris’ achievements.

“There are plenty of drivers who have had more money spent on their junior career than Lando Norris and haven’t been able to deliver in Formula 1,” he said.

In Smedley’s view, the criticism rarely comes from those who actually understand the sport.

“I think team insiders who know how hard this sport is and know what Lando Norris does on a week-to-week basis, I don’t think anyone has anything but praise,” he continued.

‘The kid’s the real deal’

What frustrates Smedley most is the contrast between Norris’ public image and the competitor he sees behind the scenes.

“The guy is super fast, and now he’s super consistent as well. And actually, I think that for all he p***es about and does his Twitch, or whatever it’s called, and his social media stuff, and he’s a bit of a character, he’s tough.

“He has a lot of mental resilience, and we saw that last year. He is very, very tough. So whatever his upbringing, whatever Adam, his dad, has done for him and all the rest of it, forget all of that. The kid’s the real deal. He’s very, very resilient.”

Those words carry weight. Smedley spent years working with world champions and many top F1 drivers, and his verdict is unequivocal: beneath the jokes, streaming clips and relaxed exterior sits a driver with the resilience required to survive Formula 1’s relentless pressure.

• Read also: Norris ‘driving better than last year’ despite points deficit

Norris’ recent form supports that assessment. The Spa fightback and Hungary victory have lifted him to fifth in the championship on 128 points, just 10 behind Charles Leclerc and 19 ahead of Max Verstappen.

For Smedley, the debate should now be over. Norris is not simply a talented driver with a now famous surname and a polished online presence. He is, in his words, “the real deal.”

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