Lawnmower tricks, Verstappen’s golf buggy duties and stroopwafels – Getting to know the real Lando Norris

Lando Norris is the latest star to face our Getting to Know quiz as we fire an unusual set of questions the McLaren man’s way. From discovering his love for driving on a lawnmower to the F1 rivals he would include in his ultimate golf team, and his appreciation of stroopwafels to the potential for an alternative career, he reveals all in the video player above and transcript below…

Can you describe yourself in three words?

Oh, God! I’m so terrible at this. How will I do this? Relaxed, fun… Err, chaos!

GRILL THE GRID: See who has the best logic as the drivers face the order on the board challenge

What made you fall in love with F1?

I fell in love with racing, with driving… I like cars and just driving, so I wouldn’t say I fell in love with F1 and then decided to try and get into F1. I was like seven, six, five years old. I fell in love with four wheels… Actually, I fell in love with two wheels, then four wheels! But I think just kind of being out there alone, just you in control, just driving as quickly as you can. I think that and just being at one with the car, [that] kind of thing. I would say that’s what I fell in love with, then F1 is just the most extreme part of it, the most extreme version of that. I fell in love with karting, then I ended up in F1.

That leads on quite nicely… When and where did you first drive something? Alex Albon told us about the time he drove a little go-kart around Disneyland and cried, so I don’t know if you have a similar story…

Disneyland… He cried, did he? I see Alex crying a lot… Wow… I know what it is! It was a lawnmower. I used to drive the lawnmower. I used to go out and cut the grass every day, just so I could drive the lawnmower! But there was like a weight limit to start the engine, so I had to always go to the gym and get the 10kg dumbbells, which were basically a third of my bodyweight back then. I had to put them on the seat with me, then sit on them, to allow me to actually start it and drive it. So, it all started on a lawnmower!

There’s a lot of pressure on this next question… How many times did it take you to pass your driving test?

One! First time…

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A few drivers have said that parallel parking caught them out…

I do try to avoid that now, at all costs! Yeah… I love a little valet, you know.

If you could never sim race again, or never play golf again, what would it be?

Never sim race. I retired from sim racing in covid. I’ve not done a sim race since!

Another golf one for you here… If you had to enter a golf tournament with three other F1 drivers alongside you, who would they be and why?

Aww. I think I’d have Carlos [Sainz]. I’ll have Max [Verstappen], just for the vibe. He won’t be allowed to hold a golf club or anything, but just to have… He can get the drinks and that kind of thing. Who else? I think Lance [Stroll] is pretty good at golf, Lance is very good at golf, similar to Carlos almost. For a competition, those two, then Max can drive the golf buggy, caddie and that kind of thing.

Who are you closest to inside the paddock?

Umm… It’s tough. I mean, I’ve worked and probably been closest to Carlos, but for people that I’ve not worked with, I’m probably closest to Max, I would say. Just because we kind of grew up together, ish, we knew of each other many, many years ago, 2012, 2013… I’ve never actually worked with Max or been in the same team or anything like that, but I’ve always had a good, respectful relationship with Max. Carlos is the one that I’ve been team mates with, I kind of know probably personally more than anyone else, even his cousin and that kind of thing. I would probably say Carlos and Max.

Who would be part of your all-time F1 dream team? So that’s two drivers and a team boss... A couple of drivers have chosen themselves as a driver and team boss…

Damn, so they’d do it all? Umm… I’m very happy with Zak [Brown]. I mean he’s team boss [CEO], obviously Team Principal is still Mr [Andrea] Stella, but as a boss Zak is good, and he’s a golfer too. When your boss says, ‘Do you want to go and play golf?’, it’s like, ‘Ahh’. Drivers? Jackie Stewart. I love Jackie, so I’d pick Jackie Stewart, and I want to drive alongside Jackie, so I’ll pick myself!

GRILL THE GRID: Plenty of laughs and head-scratching as the drivers take on the face mash challenge

If you could form an F1 band, who would be involved and what would it be called? I’m picturing you headlining Glastonbury here…

Aww. I don’t know anyone who does instruments and stuff…

You’ve got Charles Leclerc with his keyboard…

Yeah, he might just be solo to be honest!

Anyone else that you’ve heard singing in the paddock?

Danny Ric [Ricciardo]… Danny Ric must… I feel like he talks a big game, you know, with music, he knows everyone and all that kind of thing. Daniel’s in there. Karaoke? I think Yuki [Tsunoda], I think Yuki’s a bit of a karaoke guy. He might be the main act, the main part. Lewis [Hamilton] actually sings as well, doesn’t he? Ohh. Lewis. So, him and Yuki, then you’ve got Charles on the piano, I can do a bit of drumming, very simple but just the beat, and I think that’s… Daniel’s there somewhere, probably doing lighting or something!

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Any thoughts on a name?

The Schnitzels.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Umm… Just to have fun. It’s like the most boring one, but life’s too short.

And what’s the worst advice you’ve ever received?

Worst advice I’ve ever received? Umm… I don’t think there’s anything that’s bad advice, such a thing as bad advice. Everything’s advice, but do with it what you will!

What’s the strangest gift you’ve ever been given by a fan?

Just foods. I’m very picky with my food, so when someone gives me something, especially when it’s in a packet… Hmm, I don’t trust it. Even if it’s not in a packet, that means it’s been tampered with. The only thing I accept from a food point of view is stroopwafels, Kinder Maxis and Kinder Eggs.

READ MORE: GRILL THE GRID: Watch and play along as the drivers take on the A-Z challenge!

Which other job do you wish you could try for a day?

Umm… DJing. Or like a helmet painter.

You’re good mates with Martin Garrix, aren’t you? So a bit of a collab there?

Yeah. I mean, he’s the one who got me into DJing, so I give full credits to Martin.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the sport?

I don’t know. I would say just keep grinding away. I wouldn’t say keep believing, because I think that’s nonsense. I didn’t believe I was going to be in F1 and I’m here. I don’t think you need to believe in yourself, to be honest. I think it helps and maybe it’s a good thing, but I don’t think you need it. Some people maybe like it more than others, but as long as you’re working hard in the meantime, I think that’s the most important thing. I worked hard to be here, but I didn’t believe I would be here. I think that’s probably the best thing.

Where do you want to be in five years’ time?

Where would I like to be? Umm… Still here in F1. I don’t know, to be honest. I’m not sure. I don’t know what I want. I don’t care about the future at the minute!

READ MORE: Crying at Disneyland, Verstappen’s cat-sitting duties and finger puppets – Getting to know the real Alex Albon

See where it takes you…

That’s it. See where it takes me.