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Will president Trump really drive a McLaren Formula 1 car in Austin?

21:08, 14 Jun

byTobia Elia

In the past few hours, a rumor has emerged through some reports from France suggesting that U.S. President Donald Trump will be at the track in Austin next week with McLaren — but is this really true?

Donald Trump on track in a McLaren Formula 1 car next week in Austin — fact or fiction? According to information gathered by GPblog, which reached out to McLaren for comment, the rumor appears to be completely unfounded.

''Yes it's absolutely not true that he's driving'', McLaren confirmed GPblog, immediately shutting the rumor down before it could gain traction.

Donald Trump and McLaren's CEO Zak Brown

Trump will not be driving a McLaren F1 car

The story had started gaining traction on social media via a tweet shared by French media Canal+, according to which Trump would have jumped in one of the McLaren F1 cars for a test in Austin next week.

The American president had already attended a Formula 1 Grand Prix last year—specifically the Miami GP—where he visited the McLaren garage thanks to his connection with Zak Brown.

''I am here for Zak Brown, and I've been a massive McLaren fan ever since they fired Sergio Perez in 2013, really embracing the values a true American team should represent'', Trump shared with media back then.

Trump’s presence in Miami also happened to coincide with Lando Norris’s first-ever Formula 1 victory, with the former U.S. President jokingly referring to himself as the British driver’s “lucky charm.”

"He said he was my lucky charm because it’s my first win. So I don’t know if he’s going to come to more races now'', Norris explained last year.

“I didn’t see him in the garage, to be honest. I was busy prepping for the race. But he saw me afterwards, and he came up to congratulate me''.

“So I guess an honour, because whenever you have someone like this, it has to be an honour for them to come up to you, to take time out of their life, to pay their respects for what you’ve done''.

“But yeah, there are a lot of special people or cool people that have been here this weekend. Donald is someone that you’ve got to have a lot of respect for in many ways'.

“And yeah, for anyone like that who acknowledges what you can go out and do and acknowledges the work ethic that goes into things, you’ve got to be thankful for that. And I was. So yeah, a cool moment. And that’s all.”