'Don't embarrass me' - Lando Norris pleads with McLaren star

McLaren

'Don't embarrass me' - Lando Norris pleads with McLaren star

Papaya driver Lando Norris has lifted the lid on a close F1 relationship

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Sunday 13 July 2025 22:54

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British F1 star Lando Norris has issued a plea to his McLaren race engineer Will Joseph amid his fight for a maiden drivers' championship this season.

The 25-year-old secured his eighth career victory at a grand prix last weekend, claiming the coveted British GP trophy after crossing the line first in front of his home crowd.

Having now reached the halfway point of the 2025 season, Norris is in serious contention for the championship.

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With just eight points separating him from team-mate and leader Oscar Piastri, everyone on Norris' side of the garage is doing all they can to bring home the title, a point which was proven by the Brit's engineer in Montreal last month.

McLaren have allowed their competitive driver duo to race fairly all season long, a decision which saw Norris crash straight into his team-mate at the Canadian GP.

Prior to the incident, Norris' race engineer Joseph could be heard encouraging the Brit to attempt a pass on Piastri whilst he did not have DRS, but his lunge down the inside of his team-mate resulted in his first DNF of the year.

Lando Norris and race engineer Will Joseph

Norris on relationship with F1 race engineer

Speaking on a recent episode of F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Norris and Joseph discussed their relationship which is pivotal to their success as a team in the sport.

Joseph stated that one word to describe their relationship was ‘trusting’, while Norris suggested: "Honest, enjoyable?"

Joseph elaborated, admitting: "People often refer to other engineer-driver combinations as husband and wife. I don’t think we’re like that at all, we’re more older brother, younger brother type thing."

Norris agreed, but admitted that the pair have had ‘moments’ across their years together at the papaya F1 team.

Joseph then delivered a prime example of their brotherly dynamic, begging Norris: "Please do what I ask you to," to which the papaya star responded: "Don’t embarrass me… it goes both ways!"

Norris emerged as Max Verstappen's closest title rival last season, but as the reigning champion's form has dropped off at Red Bull, Norris has been presented with his best chance of winning a championship.

The eight-time race winner is relying on Joseph and his McLaren F1 team to deliver the right call and strategy for the second half of the season, but another crash like the one in Canada could be all it takes to lose the chance Norris may never get again.

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McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri