It’s little wonder that as time marched on, as seasons came and went and the promise of a race-winning car dissolved from expectation into mere hope time and again, the shiny veneer could slip. Where he’d been jokey with the media before, little barbs started to appear. An occasional chippiness.
Held in isolation, easy to query whether the digital version no longer reflected the reality of the man. In context, easy to acknowledge the very real burden he was carrying. Because the true measure of Lando Norris is far more than the component parts of the online personality.
There’s a Lando few see. The same guy who, from karts all the way through his career, likes to take his racing machines apart with the crew. Who, when he was a reserve at McLaren, would always be found with a high viz vest on a Sunday night, packing up the garage.
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Should flights allow, he still likes to get his hands dirty. Its one of many reasons why McLaren adore him and won’t hear a word against him. His work ethic, his loyalty and his humility are key facets of the man. Yet its not often the one you’ll see on his profiles.
The universal outpouring of joy in his victory tells you another side to him. Its rare in the highly competitive world of Formula 1 to make many true friends. To a man, I can’t think of a driver who wasn’t delighted for him in Miami. I haven’t seen Max Verstappen as happy all year, and he’s won pretty much everything. That affection is real. The friendships are true.
And as he brought his car to the pits, after acknowledging those who try to drag him down, he spoke words for the truly private man. For his parents and his grandmother. The part of his life he keeps closest and most guarded.
News Summary:
- BUXTON: The posts, the stories and the reels can write themselves now – it’s Lando ‘No Wins’ Norris no more
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