On Friday evening at the FIA gala in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem joked that he wanted to fine Lando Norris 5,000 euros. The newly crowned Formula 1 World Champion let the ‘F-word’ slip during his acceptance speech, an offense for which the FIA President had previously imposed sanctions, including on Max Verstappen.
During the ceremony, Norris officially received his World Champion trophy, after McLaren had already accepted the constructors’ title earlier in the evening and teammate Oscar Piastri was honored for his third place in the drivers’ championship. Upon taking the stage, Norris was first playfully ruffled by Ben Sulayem, after which he was invited to elaborate on his title.
In his speech, Norris reflected on the season and the internal competition within McLaren. “Oscar certainly didn’t make it easy for me. We’ve had a great rivalry over the past three years,” said the Brit. He also discussed the external pressure. “In the second half of the season, Max was closing in and putting pressure on us as a team. That led to some great moments.”
‘Can Afford the Fine Now’
Norris mentioned his victories in Monaco and at Silverstone as highlights, but also admitted that the season was not without its mistakes, with slip-ups made by both him and the team. In doing so, he used the phrase ‘fucked up‘, for which he immediately apologized. “Sorry, I’m probably going to get fined for this, but luckily I can afford it now,” Norris joked.
Ben Sulayem responded later with a quip. “I wanted to fine you, but now I think you need the money to fix your haircut, after what I’ve done to it,” said the FIA president to Lando Norris.
