Already frustrated to have lost the victory in Madrid, Lando Norris experienced a surprising scene after the race when he was asked to hide his Coca-Cola.
Read more Kimi Antonelli wins in Madrid after a VSC that ruins Norris’s race
Lando Norris was clearly not in the mood to be told what he could drink after the Spanish Grand Prix. A few minutes after seeing an almost certain victory slip away from him on the Madring, the McLaren driver found himself at the center of a rather unusual scene in the room where the top three gather before the podium.
The reigning world champion was quietly drinking a can of Coca-Cola when someone apparently asked him to put it away or, at least, to hide the brand. The reason? Coca-Cola is not a Formula 1 partner, unlike its big rival PepsiCo. Norris immediately refused to comply with this request.
A victory that slips away from Norris
The Briton’s frustration was already significant even before this episode. Starting from pole position, Norris had dominated the first 14 laps and seemed to have the pace necessary to control the Grand Prix until the finish.
But the stoppage of Lance Stroll, who suffered brake problems in the last sector, led to the deployment of the virtual safety car. The moment was particularly cruel for Norris as he had just passed the pit entry when the neutralization was triggered.
Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen were immediately able to stop and lose much less time than during a pit stop under normal conditions. The neutralization then ended before Norris could take advantage of it on the following lap.
The McLaren driver thus lost the advantage he had built on track and found himself behind Antonelli and Verstappen. Despite his comeback on the Red Bull in the last laps, the difficulties in overtaking on the Madring condemned him to third place.
A can that causes problems after the race
Once the Grand Prix was over, Norris joined Antonelli and Verstappen in the room preceding the podium ceremony. The cameras then showed the Briton with a can of Coca-Cola in hand.
This presence was not entirely trivial from a commercial point of view. Coca-Cola is a partner of McLaren, but not of Formula 1, which has an agreement with PepsiCo, its main competitor in the beverage sector.
While Norris was drinking his can, someone apparently asked him to put it away. Antonelli himself seemed to indicate to him that he could at least turn the can to hide the logo.
Read more Kimi Antonelli acknowledges that Norris deserved to win in Madrid: «You still take it»
“I just finished a race”
Norris, however, showed no intention of hiding his drink. After a grueling Grand Prix held under intense heat and especially a victory lost due to a stroke of fate, the Briton responded directly to the person who addressed him.
“I just finished a race, so I have the right to drink what I want. Thank you very much.”
A response as short as it was firm that quickly sparked reactions on social media. Many supporters defended the McLaren driver, believing he should be free to choose his drink after spending nearly two hours behind the wheel.
The scene is all the more amusing because Coca-Cola is among McLaren’s partners. Norris thus found himself in a situation where the commercial interests of his team directly clashed with those of Formula 1.
A frustrating end of day for Norris
This unexpected episode concludes a Sunday where almost nothing went in favor of the Briton. After his pole position obtained by only 11 thousandths ahead of Antonelli, Norris seemed to have turned this advantage into a perfectly controlled race.
He had quickly built a gap and Antonelli himself admitted after the finish that Norris probably deserved the victory more. The virtual safety car, however, gave the Mercedes driver the opportunity he needed to turn the situation around.
Norris nevertheless managed to limit the damage by climbing back to third place and putting Verstappen under pressure until the last kilometers. But after losing a victory due to an event completely beyond his control, the McLaren driver was clearly not willing to make another concession once out of his car.
On the track, Norris had to accept bad luck. In the room before the podium, however, there was no question of taking away his Coca-Cola.
Read more Lando Norris bitter after losing a promised victory in Madrid: «I couldn’t do anything»