Formula 1 fans have praised Lando Norris after he shot down a request from an official not to drink Coca-Cola in the cooldown room after the Spanish Grand Prix.
The 2025 champion finished third in the inaugural race at the Madring circuit, having lost a comfortable lead due to an ill-timed virtual safety car.
After starting from pole position, Norris had built a decent advantage over Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli during the opening stint. But his race changed when Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll stopped at Turn 20.
The virtual safety car was deployed moments after Norris had passed the pit entry, forcing the McLaren driver to complete a slow lap while Antonelli and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen capitalised on cheap pitstops.
Antonelli went on to win the grand prix, extending his championship lead.
Following the race, Norris was seen in the cooldown room drinking a can of Coca-Cola. The drink brand is a sponsor of McLaren, but it is not a partner of F1. In fact, F1 has a partnership with Coca-Cola’s biggest rival, PepsiCo.
When he was asked by an official to put the drink away, Norris firmly responded: “I just did a race, so I’m allowed to drink what I would like. Thank you so much.”
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: James Sutton / LAT Images via Getty Images
The moment quickly made its way across social media, with many fans praising the Briton for his response.
“THIS is the highlight of the Madring,” one fan commented on Reddit, while another added: “The irony is their attempt to stop him has brought so many more eyes on this.”
“Love this version of Lando. Kimi learning media from Max and Lando will be hilarious,” someone else posted, and another fan commented: “Max will be turning up with a six-pack of Red Bull next race. I like this Lando.”
“Valid reaction, after getting f***ed like that in that DAMNED race,” another comment read.
Further comments included: “Exactly like that, Lando! Good for him,” and “Fully support Lando’s sass. It was hot. He’s tired and having a bad day. He isn’t showing labels. Let the man have a treat.”
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