Lando Norris knows all about life in the fast lane, driving at speeds of more than 200mph and racing against the world’s fastest drivers, but he takes it all in his stride. Then again, he is the Formula One world champion.
Yet there is one aspect of his high-profile Grand Prix career that still tests Lando’s calm self-assurance: seeing himself on screen. “I hate watching myself,” he admits in advance of the latest season of Netflix’s global phenomenon Formula 1: Drive to Survive. “I don’t really watch it.”
He doesn’t mind the nerves that accompany a race day, saying, “I have confidence in them because it’s my job”, and he is happy to analyse his performance on the track.
However, the “stupid stuff” that might slip out during an interview for the documentary provides a completely different kind of anxiety. “I don’t feel great and I’m not a natural in front of the camera, so I get nervous about what I might do or say on Netflix. I always say some stupid stuff! They’re good nerves on a Sunday when the lights go out. I enjoy them more,” he says.
The fans’ favourite won last year’s world title after a down-to-the-wire final race in Abu Dhabi, a life-changing result for the 26-year-old Briton, who clearly relishes the spotlight when he is racing.
© Formula 1 via Getty ImagesLife away from the track
But he also treasures the contrast of life away from the track: “I’ve tried to be as far away from everything as possible and just enjoy the rest of my life. I love Formula One, but I also love being away from it.
“I’m lucky. It’s an incredible job. I get paid well and I get to travel with my friends. I get to play golf in beautiful places. I like to go and do those other things. You have one life. I want to try as many things as possible and enjoy as many things as possible.””
Lando, who has just split from the Portuguese model and actress Margarida Corceiro, was speaking at the 2026 Autosport Awards, where he was honoured with the coveted British Competition Driver of the Year and Autosport Champion awards.
Collecting the accolades on stage, the driver admitted that his proud mum Cisca Wauman, who has become a paddock favourite for her candid reactions to Lando’s wins and for her quirky, colourful style, might have stolen the limelight when he clinched his championship. “She was on TV more than me!”
The new season of Formula 1: Drive to Survive will arrive on 27 February on Netflix
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