BRITON NORRIS WINS EURO RENAULT

Brit becomes youngest champion despite neck injury

Reigning MSA Formula champion Lando Norris has become the youngest ever Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 title-winner after taking a surprise championship win at Spa last weekend.

The 16-year-old Brit was third in the opening race, while a second place in race two clinched him the crown. Rival Max Defourny had a miserable race finishing 15th after being involved in two separate collisions.

“I didn’t think I would be wrapping it up this weekend as I would have to take a lot of points off Defourny and considering his pace all year I didn’t think I would be able to,” said Norris, who has also won the New Zealand-based Toyota Racing Series this year. “I thought it was going to be much tougher but he got caught up in a few things and it takes a lot of pressure off me as this is the main focus this year.

“There’s a big list of very well known people who have won the title and to be the youngest of them is pretty cool. Hopefully I can end up where they have got to [a number of champions have made it to F1].”

But Norris’ title win was far from straightforward as he had to battle with a neck injury in race two.

“My neck was fine on Friday and Saturday but on Sunday on the way to the track I must’ve made a slightly wrong move and done something pretty bad to my neck,” he added. “I was in a lot of pain and didn’t think I would be able to go out – I couldn’t move my head to the left at all. I found a way of laying my head on the head rest and it made it just about bearable. I was suffering quite a bit in qualifying and felt like I was a long way off. It was very different to how I normally drive and I was so surprised to be sixth. It wasn’t easy to drive but it paid off when I took the championship early.”

He was due to be checked by a specialist on Monday ahead of the final round of the Northern European Cup at Hockenheim this weekend. He is set to take that title too, as he leads rival Defourny by 48 points.