Lando Norris has called for more respect for his privacy after recently being followed by paparazzi for forty minutes in London. The reigning F1 champion described the incident as a moment when he first truly felt uncomfortable with the attention his fame brings. Norris explained that he used to stay indoors a lot, but now wants to be able to go out more often.
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In an interview with The Independent ahead of the Belgian GP, Norris spoke about the changes in his life since his world title and the difficulty of maintaining a normal private life. The Brit emphasized that he wants to enjoy his time outside Formula 1 more and no longer just stay indoors. “I’m getting a bit older and I want to go out again,” said Norris. “That doesn’t necessarily mean I want to party; I just want to leave the house, go out to eat,” he quickly added.
“Last year I was just at home gaming and felt like a loser,” he grinned honestly. “That’s not necessarily bad. I kept to myself and was disciplined.” Norris has since changed his daily life, but according to him, that has also led to more unwanted attention. “Now I’m no longer gaming until midnight, but dining late with friends. I’ve always enjoyed that, but now there are many more cameras around and everything is widely spread on social media. I’m just trying to experience life outside the F1 world and I believe I have the right to do so.”
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‘I can’t accept that’
Although Norris understands that public interest is part of his profession, he believes there are limits. He said photographers kept following him during a private drive through London. “The extreme is when paparazzi wait for you or chase you,” he sighed disappointedly. “I was driving to a friend’s house in London and I knew a paparazzo was following me the whole way. For forty minutes I was chased through London, just to see who I would meet and where I would go.”
“That was the first time in my life that I really felt harassed – that I couldn’t leave my hotel or home without someone watching my every move.” Norris wanted to emphasize that his status as an F1 driver does not mean all boundaries disappear. “It feels like my private life is no longer really private; it has just become my life. That comes with being an F1 driver, but there are limits. I can’t accept people chasing me. That’s just strange.”
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