IMPARTING ADVICE TO CARLIN’S F3 YOUNG GUNS
For a young man with the world in his sights, Lando Norris remains remarkably grounded. Within days of his Mclaren deal being announced, he was off to the Nurburgring with Carlin to coach flat-mate Sacha Fenestraz and his FIA F3 European Championship team-mates Jehan Daruvala, Ferdinand Habsburg, Nikita Troitskiy and Ameya Vaidyanathan around the circuit where one year before he had claimed pole by a staggering nine tenths in the wet.
Where most would be indulging in the achievement of a life-long dream, Norris was anxious to be back in the familiar environment of the racetrack. He had never coached before, but they say the best way to demonstrate understanding is to explain it to someone else.
“It’s different obviously from what I’m used to and it’s good to see from another point of view and not just watching on TV,” he says.
“I wanted to come here anyway but more just to watch, have a weekend of enjoying myself and being at a racetrack but not doing loads of stuff. But at the same time I got asked if I could do what I could to help some of the drivers.”
Norris wasn’t hands-on with set-up – “I don’t think I’m at that kind of point” – but went out to watch on track and worked through the data with drivers to pass on his advice. How did he find it?
“I don’t want to sound like I’ve just come in here and talk like I know about what’s right, what’s wrong and what everyone should and shouldn’t do,” he replies. “It’s just trying to help and give them a little bit of guidance.”
It’s not every 19-year-old F1 driver that is quite so self-aware.