Carlos Sainz was quick to congratulate former McLaren teammate and good friend Lando Norris on his first world championship. After the championship race in Abu Dhabi, he sought out the Brit for a hearty embrace. Later, Sainz clarified what makes Norris such a unique world champion; as a person, the 26-year-old titleholder has proven that you don’t have to be ‘ruthless’ to succeed in Formula 1.
In front of Sky Sports cameras, Carlos Sainz explained that Lando Norris has always remained true to himself, despite the pressure and sometimes harsh criticism from the outside world. “As a driver, I’m incredibly happy for him,” the Spaniard beamed proudly. “He has always been extremely fast, faster than some give him credit for. He is extraordinarily talented. In the early years at McLaren, I already saw that he had the pace to become a multiple champion. Since then, he has greatly developed his skills, and now he is a world champion. I am especially happy for him as a person, because he does not conform to the stereotypes of a world champion. He has always stayed true to himself and spoke honestly and openly about his own struggles.”
‘Doesn’t have to be a badass’
“Norris has proven to everyone that you can become a world champion by just remaining a nice guy,” Sainz concluded. “You don’t have to be ruthless or a badass.” The Spaniard also acknowledged the immense pressure that Norris has experienced, especially due to the rise of Max Verstappen. “He must have suffered this year under all the pressure from social media and the press. He faced a lot of criticism in the first half of the season, and later when Max was closing in. It’s never easy to become a world champion with Max on your tail, but he kept it under control.”
“Yes, I’m just really happy for him,” Sainz summed up. “I think he’s a fantastic and incredibly fast Formula 1 driver. With his specific habits and despite all the criticism over the past years, he has still become a world champion. The rest can only dream of that. He follows his own path and does everything in his own way. Despite all the pressure, he has succeeded.”
When Norris made his debut at McLaren in 2019, he was joined by Carlos Sainz, who came from Renault. The duo built a close friendship and received much praise for their mutual cooperation and playful media productions. Sainz, at that time the more experienced driver, finished above the Brit more often during their two-year collaboration, but was regularly outperformed in the qualifications.
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