Lando Norris interview turns sour as Max Verstappen and George Russell questions blocked

Formula 1 regulations, George Russell and Max Verstappen are reportedly off-limit topics for Lando Norris’s management during interviews with the world champion

Lando Norris spoke about George Russell and Max Verstappen despite his management blocking questions (Image: Getty)
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Lando Norris’ management team reportedly blocked questions about Formula 1 regulations, George Russell and Max Verstappen during a recent interview with The Guardian. The reigning world champion is still said to have answered some of the queries, despite being told multiple times by a representative of his not to, including one about whether McLaren could catch Mercedes this season.

Norris, 26, is represented by ADD Management, according to their website, who also works with Formula E drivers Jake Dennis and Zane Maloney, as well as Ugo Ugochukwu, who competes in Formula 3. Former kart racer Fraser Sheader founded the company and remains a director, alongside Mark Berryman, a one-time karting mechanic and team owner who was with Norris during that period of the future F1 driver’s own career.

Donald McRae does not name either in the article about his interview with Norris, but does say that the subject pushed back and asked, “Why?” after being told, “No, we’re not answering that,” regarding Mercedes. He reportedly told his representative, “Say yes,” and eventually responded, “Yes, they can [be caught], and we’re doing our best to make sure it’ll be [McLaren] who do that.”

Norris’ management are said to have laughed about a question about Verstappen quitting the sport. The interviewer claimed to have received a message hours before the interview stating that his management did not want their client to speak about his friendship and rivalry with Russell and Verstappen, as well as the new regulations.

Norris, however, reportedly answered the query about Verstappen’s future anyway, saying: “I’ve no idea, Max can do whatever he likes.” McRae claims his representative said, seemingly talking for the driver: “He’s an amazing guy. Max is the best person ever, and we love him. Quote.”

Lando Norris’ interview came after filming an acceptance speech for the Laureus World Sports Awards (Image: Getty)

In response to being told “no”, he reportedly said while smiling awkwardly, “I’m not the boss.” Norris, however, has spoken several times about the F1 regulations before.

He spoke to McLaren about the new rules at a recent Pirelli tyre test. Norris said: “It’s not the car I’m struggling with, it’s the bit behind us that I’m not enjoying as much – the power unit regulations.

“I had a scenario in Japan where the battery deployment triggered, even though I didn’t really want it to, and I had to overtake Lewis [Hamilton] as a result. That meant I was then a sitting duck on the next straight, where I had actually wanted to use the battery.

“For me, that’s taking too much control away from the driver, but I know that the FIA and all the stakeholders of the sport are looking into it: there has been good dialogue with the FIA on this topic, so I am confident that something will be done for when we go racing in Miami again.”