Lando Norris has admitted his first love wasn’t Margarida Corceiro, or even Formula 1, for that matter.
Speaking at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, the McLaren driver revealed he grew up obsessed with motocross and motorcycle racing, idolising Valentino Rossi before ever watching an F1 race.
“You know what, I would love to do motorbike stuff. That’s actually where I started,” Norris said on stage.
“I did horse riding – I hated that. Quad biking – my dad sold it, he said it got stolen, he just sold it because it was too dangerous.
"Then I went to motocross. Motorbikes, motocross, quad bikes – I loved all of that before I ever watched Formula 1. My hero was Valentino Rossi.”
Norris: From motocross dreams to F1 contender
The Briton admitted his early passion for dirt racing and desert buggies shaped his view of motorsport.
“For me, buggies and desert stuff, I was like, ‘this is the coolest stuff in the world,’” he added. “That’s actually what I wanted to do before everything.”
Now firmly established as one of F1’s stars, Norris sits second in the 2025 championship, just nine points behind teammate Oscar Piastri after 14 races.
But even while chasing a maiden World Championship, Norris says his motorbike roots remain a big part of his story, and a reminder of how close he came to heading down a very different racing path.
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