Former team boss Günther Steiner thinks Lando Norris was unprofessional after the Spanish GP in how he handled the request from Formula 1 to put away his Cola can. Unlike biggest competitor Pepsi, the soft drink company is not an official sponsor of Formula 1. According to Steiner, however, drivers are ‘trained’ to avoid such moments: “For Coca-Cola, it worked out well,” the former team boss further observes.
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It was a much-discussed moment after the Spanish GP: Lando Norris refusing a request to put away his Cola can. The world champion was asked if he wanted to get rid of the soft drink because the Coca-Cola Company is not an official sponsor of the Grand Prix. “I just raced, so I can drink whatever I want. Thank you very much,” was the McLaren driver’s response.
‘Lando shouldn’t have done that’
The Brit’s reaction received much praise from former driver David Coulthard, but former team boss Günther Steiner thinks very differently. “If you are a professional, you don’t do that. Period,” said the former Haas team boss on the Red Flags podcast. “As a driver, you know what you can and cannot do. You are trained for that. He shouldn’t have done it. Is it bad that he did it? Did it hurt anyone? No. But as a professional, that’s not right. But he did it. And you know what? I don’t give a damn.”
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Steiner does see how the moment was good publicity for the company behind the soft drink. “For Coca-Cola, it worked out quite well,” continues the current analyst. “It was quite good for their company. If they (from Formula 1, ed.) hadn’t said anything to Lando, no one would have even noticed. But because such a fuss was made about it, it became a real phenomenon, and now Coca-Cola is laughing about it.”
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