Red Bull former esports player sends strong message defending Lando Norris amid media controversy
Former Red Bull esports player Marcel Kiefer jumped to Lando Norris' defense after the latter was criticized for his comments on Lewis Hamilton. Marcel labeled Norris a good guy and asked fans to stop hating him.
Norris came under scrutiny when he poked fun at Hamilton's farewell at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hamilton, who ended his 11-year stint with Mercedes, was greeted emotionally by his team members and fans. However, Norris jokingly said that the farewell feels odd since Hamilton is not retiring from the sport.
The comments quickly surfaced on the internet, and fans criticized him for allegedly taking a dig at Hamilton. Meanwhile, former Red Bull esports athlete Marcel Kiefer reacted to one such hate comment on the X platform. He wrote a brief message in support of the McLaren driver.
Sharing his experience working with Lando Norris, Marcel referred to him as a fun guy and shared several instances where the 25-year-old driver was humble to people around him. The esports player added that Norris' comments are being taken out of context. He urged the media to stop portraying the British driver as a villain and shared his chill side with the fans.
"Criticize when it makes sense, but stop the hate," Kiefer said.
Lando Norris has been in the news throughout the 2024 F1 season for his tiff with Max Verstappen. The duo crashed in Austria and took stern digs at each other. However, Norris and Verstappen, having been friends for long, sorted out their differences soon after. As the Dutch driver clinched his fourth championship title, the Brit congratulated him and conceded defeat in a tense battle.
For the 2025 F1 season, the McLaren driver has expressed confidence in fighting for the Drivers' championship. He missed out on the title this year with a 63-point difference to Verstappen, but his victory in Abu Dhabi helped the Papaya team win the Constructors' title for the first time since 1998.
Novak Djokovic congratulates Lando Norris & McLaren
McLaren won their first Constructors title since 1998 after Lando Norris won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, keeping Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc at bay. As the Papaya team celebrated the momentous occasion, tennis star Novak Djokovic took to his Instagram to congratulate the team for their triumph. He tagged McLaren's official handle and posted a simple caption:
"Congratulations to @mclaren #papaya"
Norris anchored McLaren's Constructors' championship campaign with four wins and nine other podium finishes. Oscar Piastri helped the cause as well with two wins and six other podiums. On the other hand, Red Bull's steep downward trend in the second half of the season worked as a blessing in disguise for the Papaya team. With this confidence, McLaren will aim for a much better season in 2025.