F1 chief Zak Brown lays down the law as Lando Norris McLaren ban confirmed

FIA, brown, norris, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

McLaren

F1 chief lays down the law as Norris McLaren ban confirmed

Lando Norris responds to rumours of an interest outside of McLaren F1

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 29 April 2025 10:58 Updated: 17:57

Formula 1 star Lando Norris has revealed McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has banned him from taking part in another FIA motorsport series.

Norris is a five-time grand prix winner and challenged for the drivers' world championship last season, although his title chances were blown away by Max Verstappen's late-season form.

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In 2025, Norris has endured a four-race win drought, allowing team-mate and new championship rival Oscar Piastri to gain a 10-point advantage over the Brit after five rounds of the season.

Former Ferrari general manager Peter Windsor recently suggested Norris should ditch social media in order to help his career and championship chances, and now Norris himself has suggested his team have banned him from another activity away from F1.

Norris is known to be a big fan of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), but has confirmed he will not be able to complete a test in the sport anytime soon.

"I really wanted to come in here and say, ‘Yeah, it’s true’, but it’s not," Norris told media at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when asked about the rally switch rumours.

"I said a couple of years ago, I’m not allowed.

"Zak [Brown] doesn’t let me drive rally cars, probably for a good reason, but I’ve said many times I would love to.

"It’s so weird how people come up with such things in the media.

"That’s how terrible it is sometimes, rather than just asking me before publishing things."

F1 racers adhere to strict team orders

Norris isn't the only driver who has seemingly been banned from competing in an activity that may cause them injury.

In 2024, Max Verstappen revealed his team didn't let him go skiing, suggesting there was a clause in his current Red Bull contract preventing him from taking part in dangerous activities.

At the start of the 2023 season, Aston Martin racer Lance Stroll just about recovered from an injury in time to take to the track for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, having fallen off his bike during the winter break and suffered a broken wrist.

Norris certainly doesn't need any added chance of missing an F1 race this season, already sitting 10 points behind Piastri and desperately needing to bounce back at the upcoming Miami GP.

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Max Verstappen Ferrari McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Zak Brown