F1 rivals taunt Lando Norris after MAJOR loss

Lando Norris, McLaren, Monaco, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Norris taunted by F1 rivals after MAJOR loss

The British star was the subject of a paddock joke

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 19 July 2024 22:57 Updated: 13:14

Lando Norris has been subject to a paddock prank after a major loss last weekend.

The British star achieved his maiden Formula 1 victory at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this year, and has been in hot pursuit of Max Verstappen during most race weekends since.

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The Norris-Verstappen rivalry came to a head at the Austrian Grand Prix, where they collided during the closing stages of the race, with Norris forced to retire his car.

Any hopes of redemption at his home race at Silverstone were dashed, when McLaren put Norris on the wrong tyre strategy, and lost out to Lewis Hamilton in the pits.

Lando Norris lost out to Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen have sparked up a rivalry

Lando Norris taunted over England’s loss to Spain

Whilst a British driver may have achieved home glory at Silverstone, England failed to take home the title during the final of the European Football Championship.

England were beaten 2-1 by Spain during the final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, continuing the men’s side's 58-year drought without a major tournament win.

A whole host of stars were in attendance to watch the final, including McLaren’s Norris who was seen in the crowd during the game.

As a result of the loss, Norris was subjected to a cheeky prank in the Hungarian GP paddock, where someone flaunted the defeat in a written message on a sign with his name on.

Written in pen underneath Norris’ name was the score underlined with the phrase “¡¡VIVA ESPAÑA!!”

Fans were quick to share the photo on social media, with some joking it was Spanish driver Carlos Sainz who had graffitied the sign.

During Thursday’s press conference, Fernando Alonso continued to fuel these rumours when asked if it was him behind the prank.

“Not me. No, not me,” Alonso said.

“There is another Spanish driver, so yeah. Not me, for sure.”

Scherzo del manager di Sainz ai danni di Lando 🤣🤣🤣#F1 #HungarianGP
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Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Lando Norris Miami Grand Prix Austrian Grand Prix Ricciardo