Present at Goodwood, the F1 world champion Lando Norris revealed that he would like to team up with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a few years.
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A great admirer of Rossi, Norris met the nine-time motorcycle world champion at the “Festival of Speed” in Goodwood.
The McLaren driver took the wheel of several cars during the famous British hill climb, including the brand’s new Hypercar prototype, which is preparing its return to the top category of the World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2027.
Not for right now
Gathered on the balcony of Goodwood House, Norris and Rossi were asked about the possibility of teaming up in Endurance: “Of course yes!” Norris immediately replied.
Rossi then revealed that he had already discussed this possibility with his British friend: “I tried to ask him, but Formula 1 drivers are very busy right now.”
With McLaren’s upcoming entry into the Hypercar category, Norris believes an opportunity could arise in the future: “We have too many races, but with McLaren now coming to Le Mans, maybe next year… No, not next year. But maybe in a few years. I would love to do it. It would be an honor for me and it would be really fun.”
Already 47 years old (20 years older than Norris) and regularly involved in major endurance events, Rossi showed himself ready to wait to see this project come to fruition: “I will try to wait for Lando.”
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A project already mentioned by Rossi
After leaving MotoGP, Rossi dedicated himself full-time to car racing starting in 2022. As early as 2021, the Italian had already expressed his desire to share a cockpit with Norris: “If we can participate in a race with Lando, it would be a great pleasure for me, because he is very fast and we could really have fun.”
The possibility of seeing the two men team up at the Goodwood Revival, behind the wheel of historic cars, was also mentioned: “I want to wear period outfits and have a good time at Goodwood. Why not? I will let him choose the car”, Rossi said.
Valentino Rossi already has some experience with the 24 Hours of Le Mans: the Italian participated in the 2024 and 2025 editions for BMW in the LMGT3 category, although he did not manage to finish. In 2025, a technical problem notably deprived him of a real chance to reach the podium.
McLaren couldn’t be happier
Rossi left the World Endurance Championship at the end of last season but extended his partnership with BMW to continue racing in the GT World Challenge Europe, including the 24 Hours of Spa. He also had the opportunity to test a BMW Hypercar prototype in 2024.
On his side, McLaren CEO Zak Brown had already hinted that Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri could one day participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the British brand: “Will they participate at Le Mans? I talked to both of them. They would like to drive one of our cars.”
A crew combining Norris and Rossi remains a dream for now, but with McLaren’s return to the top category of Endurance, this possibility could become a reality in the coming years.
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