Watch: The adorable moment of Lando Norris coming back to fist bump a young fan during the F1 Qatar GP race weekend
McLaren driver Lando Norris fist-bumped a fan ahead of the main race at the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, December 1 in a wholesome moment. He showcased his pace throughout the mixed weekend but did not get the desired rewards at Lusail International Circuit.
The Brit, currently in P2 in the driver's championship, secured pole position in the Sprint qualifying on Friday night and led the Sprint on Saturday the entire way. But he chose to slow down before the chequered flag to give the race win to his teammate Oscar Piastri as the Aussie driver had done in Brazil last month.
In a video posted on Threads ahead of the main race after the driver's parade, the three-time race winner returned to fist-bump a young fan, who was delighted by the gesture:
Lando Norris's final result in the main race was disappointing. He had been pushing Max Verstappen for the race win but did not slow down during the double yellow flag. He was given a 10-second stop/go penalty which momentarily sent him to the back of the grid but he was eventually able to recover two points along with the fastest lap to finish P10.
Lando Norris laments his severe penalty in the Qatar GP
McLaren driver Lando Norris told Sky Sports F1 he had let the team down given his P2 finish would have secured the constructors championship for the British team at the Qatar Grand Prix.
“The team gave me a great car today, so I’m thankful for the team. Disappointed that I couldn’t have done a worse job than I did today and not give them the points they deserve, so I’ve made the job of the team much harder than it needs to be. The team are doing a great job but I’ve let them down. I didn’t finish P2, [it] doesn’t matter who I’m fighting if I get a penalty. [I’m] disappointed, and I can only apologise to the team," Lando Norris said.
"Honestly I don’t know what I’ve done wrong at the minute. Apparently, I didn’t slow under the yellow. I’m not an idiot – if I knew there was a yellow I would have slowed down. I don’t know if I’ve missed it or just been dumb. But, yeah, the rule is if you don’t slow down under a yellow that’s the penalty, so it’s a fair penalty.”
Norris holds a slim eight-point lead to Charles Leclerc in the driver's standings in their battle for P2 heading into the Abu Dhabi GP this weekend.