Lando Norris F1 British Grand Prix Interview: Luck, Lessons, Legacy

The F1 star’s newfound hospitality also takes shape in a new activation between McLaren Racing and Hilton, the global hospitality brand that has been a partner of the F1 team for 20 years. To celebrate the occasion, Norris recently helped to unveil the hotel’s “Stay Like McLaren Racing” suite at The Trafalgar St. James London, Curio Collection by Hilton.

Created in collaboration with the McLaren Formula 1 Team, the suite features two rooms of racing-inspired gear, decor and activations, all decked out in McLaren’s signature “papaya” colorway. While one room offers a bed and living space (complete with a welcome package and virtual greeting from team principal Zak Brown), the other room features a “heritage hub,” with twin racing simulators, a “pit wall” airing race day replays, an in-room bar, and scores of new and retro McLaren merch (including Norris and Oscar Piastri uniforms hanging from replica lockers).

Guests also receive a smoothie delivery inspired by the drivers each morning: Norris’ “Energy Smoothie” features papaya, natch, along with mango, ginger and electrolytes, while Piastri’s “Morning Change” smoothie uses bananas, berries, milk, honey and Optimum Nutrition protein.

Fans can book a night at the “Stay Like McLaren Racing” suite from now until July 20, just in time to celebrate Norris’ recent win at the the Formula 1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Hilton will offer other “Hilton Honors Experiences” to Hilton Honors members throughout the year.

For the Bristol-born Norris, winning at nearby Silverstone was more than a dream come true — it was proof that his years of hard work and dedication are finally paying off. It was also a reminder for the 25-year-old to give himself grace and sometimes, to just let the chips fall where they may.

“Sometimes you’re confident and you’re excited for a race, but it’s not like you can be completely prepared for it,” he says. “You don’t know what’s going to happen. So you just have to wing it at times and go with the flow.”

Three days before taking victory at Silverstone, Norris talked to Rolling Stone about balancing off-track partnerships with on-track performance, re-shaping his winning mindset, and how, six years into his Formula 1 career, he’s already thinking about his legacy.

We’re here in London at your home race. What are your earliest memories of Silverstone?

The first time I ever went to this Formula 1 race with McLaren was 2017 I think, which was one of my first appearances with McLaren as part of the team and it was as cool as you can get because it was at Silverstone.

But my first-ever one, I honestly can’t remember how old I was — I was probably 10 — and it was my dad, my brother and myself, just us three. We went on a Thursday or Friday. I think we were racing at a cart track nearby and we went during one of the days or halfway through the day, just to kind of get a quick look. I was so small I could barely see because I couldn’t see over any of the barriers, and we didn’t have like grandstand tickets or anything, so I barely got to see much. But that was like my first smell and taste of what it was like to be there on a race weekend. We waited outside the paddock where the gates are, and the drivers are coming out, and I remember I had my race helmet and we tried to get as many people to sign it as possible. And at home now, I’ve still got that very, very, very first helmet I ever had with some signatures from the drivers.

Who did you see? Who signed it?

I think the best one I had was Jenson [Button]. I got maybe four or five drivers and a couple of — at the time, I didn’t even know who they were — but it was probably like team managers or something and that was cool for me, you know, to get that first experience. Then there were some drivers that well… were not so nice, but I don’t want to say who.

You can put them on blast in Rolling Stone right now.

No, no, I never talk about someone because sometimes, drivers can be in — even for myself — you can not be in the best mood or you’re in a rush or something. So you know, there are times when maybe I don’t sign as much stuff as I should, but because of different situations. So I never talk bad about someone.

We’re here at Silverstone with Hilton, who are one of the McLaren Racing partners. What is it about this partnership that resonates with you?

Traveling is pretty much half of our time and like half of our job. The most important thing, especially for myself, is rest and recovery. In my list of priorities and how I can make sure I’m as prepared as can be for a race, sleep is probably one of, if not the highest. And for the team, especially when we’re traveling all over the world in different time zones, Hilton is there to try and make us feel as comfortable as possible, not just for me, but for the over 100 people that normally travel every single weekend.

Do you have specific routines or rituals to help you fall asleep?

Everyone wants a good night’s sleep and clearly, everyone has their own preferences. Hilton’s always very good at trying to understand what everyone likes in particular. For me, I like the more blacked-out room, where you don’t see the daylight in bed. I’m also particular about the temperature of a room. I want it as cold as possible. The minimum. I just don’t like heat.

Sometimes I take my own pillow with me, but sometimes I tell them what I like — for me, I like quite a firm pillow. Too soft and then it wraps around too much [pointing to neck]. For us, the neck is one of the most important things, so I can never afford to wake up with a bad neck because I slept funny. Trying to keep that consistency is one of the most important things.

And then I like little snacks, like mints and Kinders and subtle things that aren’t needed, but just nice to have.

Do you like working on these brand partnerships or do they sometimes get in the way of training?

Well you want someone who actively wants to try and make your team and your situation better. And then you want to obviously be able to give something back in return. For us, one of those big things is our fans and our supporters, because without them, we don’t have Formula 1. So we are always trying to have a good situation [with partners] where we can help each other, but at the same time we can give more access to the fans, the supporters of McLaren, because they’re very, very important to us.

As drivers, we know we have to be part of all of these things, so the more attractive and cool they can make it for us, the more it’s going to be better for everyone, right? We’re drivers, you know, not actors or anything. So the more fun it can be for us, the more of a positive it’s going to be for the fans, for the partners, and for the team.

This is your sixth year as a full-time Formula 1 driver. How do you think your mindset or awareness has changed?

I think you get so used to it being normal, and you kind of get used to waking up on a Sunday, knowing that it’s race day. I remember the first year or two in Formula 1, I would wake up on a Sunday and be like, ‘Oh God!’ You’re kind of excited, nervous… you don’t know what’s going to happen because there are a lot of new situations. Now I’m able to anticipate much better what might happen, and I’m able to narrow down a lot more of the situations I might be in. So that’s just experience.

Do you still get nervous before a race?

There are still times when I’m obviously more anxious, more nervous, all of these things, and then maybe not feeling as comfortable or confident or whatever. But then you’ve got to try and know when those times are and turn it into excitement, and then the excitement turns into confidence when you kind of have a good plan in place. Knowing how to turn different situations into a positive one is really the main thing. But I don’t think you can avoid ever being overly excited or nervous or anxious at times. I think sometimes you’ve just got to roll with it.

What is your attack plan like when you get to the track each weekend?

I think for some things, it’s good to have a very good plan. But at the same time, with racing, you can have plenty of plans in place, but we’re also human at the end of it, so you can’t plan for what everyone else is going to do. And I think those are sometimes the exciting races, especially when they say there’s rain or it’s drying out. Yes, it’s nerve racking, but it’s also exciting because there’s opportunity for everyone, including yourself. I think other races where it’s just going to be completely dry or whatever, it’s much easier to put a decent plan in place and try and execute that. But when it’s like this weekend, where it’s probably going to rain for maybe half the race or something, that’s one where you’re like, ‘Okay, what’s going to happen?’

Do you like driving in the rain?

Some of the time, those conditions are the most scary, nerve-racking conditions, especially when you might be on slicks in the wet [rain]. I say scary and nerve-racking because it’s so easy to crash and so easy to be off, and for everything to just be gone. But it’s also a time when there’s more opportunity than ever before. So it’s really playing with fire and it’s a very risk-reward game, and sometimes those are the most exciting.

Since this is for Rolling Stone, would you say you’re a big music guy?

I like music. Whenever I’m in my room, whenever I go for a run, whenever I’m in the car — not the race car, but in the other car — I’ll be listening to music. But I also like to have some peace and quiet every now and then because everything is so noisy. There are always so many people [around] so having some some quietness is good, but I’m a music guy.

What’s like, your shout-out-loud, roll-down-the-windows song?

I mean, I’m more chill than anything, so it’ll be like a country song.

Who’s your favorite country singer?

The easy one is Zach Bryan. But I’m not very good at artist names.

We talked about mindset earlier, but what is a lesson that you’ve learned recently?

I think one of the best things you learn in Formula 1 is that there are so many people that work within a team — over a thousand people work with McLaren. And what I’m learning is just to utilize the people that you have around you. In Formula 1, you have several people assigned to every single thing that you can think of. So everyone there has a specialty and is an expert in different areas.

So it’s about knowing when to not just think that you can do it, but knowing when to go, ‘Okay, maybe I need to speak to this person, maybe they can help,’ or ‘Maybe they’ve experienced it before.’ Sometimes I would love to think that I got it and I can do it and I don’t need to [ask for help]. I think you learn that everyone there has something that they can offer to help you. And sometimes vice versa, you know, you’ll help them. But I think that’s probably one of the best things I’ve learned.

“Some people want to be remembered as the ‘best driver ever.’ But I don’t know, I feel like eventually everyone forgets.”

You have so many young fans that look up to you, though of course, you’re still young yourself. But I wonder, do you ever think ahead to what you would want your legacy to be?

I guess the only thing that I want is for people to know the kind of person I was, rather than anything else. I’m not fussed about having a legacy or being remembered as being one of the best drivers or anything. It’s just something that I’m not too bothered by. You know, some people are different. Some people want to be remembered as the ‘best driver ever.’ But I don’t know, I feel like eventually everyone forgets. So for me, there’s no use. There’s no excitement for me in thinking of those things.

For me, it’s just trying to achieve the things that I want to achieve in my career and in my life, and share those moments with others. And then just be remembered for being the person that I am, more than the driver that I was.