Lando Norris’ girlfriend hits back after F1 TV coverage controversy

Margarida Corceiro, the girlfriend of McLaren F1 star Lando Norris, has spoken out about the fact she has been filmed during TV coverage at recent races, something that has led to condemnation from F1 fans and other drivers.

Williams racer Carlos Sainz recently suggested that the F1 TV director - who is not employed by Sky or any other channel but displays the pictures to worldwide TV channels - should stop focusing on the reactions of drivers' family members and partners, and instead focus on the racing.

The prevalence of the cameras showing partners' reactions to certain moments in the races seems to have increased in 2025, and Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft also recently shared his disapproval when they failed to show Fernando Alonso’s battle with Lewis Hamilton at the end of the Singapore GP, with the debate over whether celebrities and partners get too much airtime rumbling on.

Norris and Corceiro were rumoured to have been in an on-off relationship since 2023, but that was made official at the 2025 Hungarian GP, when they were pictured together at the race.

Now, Portuguese actress Corceiro has spoken out about whether she feels the pressure of being at the paddock during race weekends, giving her opinion on being filmed and broadcast to the world away from the on-track action.

"I feel absolutely no pressure from being a public figure," she told Jornal de Noticias. "I'm there to support someone. I have nothing to do with that. I don't know anything about cars. I don't understand anything. I'm not useful for anything but supporting someone.

"If I get affected when they say I'm more filmed than cars? No, because I don't call the cameras. I have nothing to do with it. It's not my job. It's not my area. If you film me, you've filmed. If they don't film, it's the same."

What did Sainz say about F1 girlfriends being filmed?

Corceiro is of course supporting somebody who is currently in a world championship battle, with more eyes on Norris than most F1 drivers at this moment.

The Brit is currently 24 points ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri in the drivers' championship, and is on the verge of a maiden world title with three race weekends remaining.

Sainz commented on the focus on drivers' partners after the Singapore GP, where his partner Rebecca Donaldson was often on camera, something which didn't sit well with the Spaniard who felt his own race had not been fairly shown on the broadcast.

Sainz told Spanish radio station El Partidazo de COPE: "It’s becoming a bit of a trend, which must have worked for them once upon a time when people found it interesting to see our girlfriends, to see famous people on TV, the reactions.

"I understand that if there is an overtake, a very tense moment in the race, it is understandable that the production team might want to show a reaction shot if they have seen that it has worked in the past, but [they only should] if the competition is respected and you are always showing the important moments of the race.

"Last weekend they didn’t show any of the four or five overtakes I did at the end. Nor did they show Fernando’s pursuit of Lewis, they missed a lot of things.

"The other [thing] is fine but don’t lose sight of the main thing. For me, they go overboard a little showing the celebrities and girlfriends."

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