F1 News
Norris would prefer to opt out of 'F1 75' with Verstappen
Lando Norris has said that the new 'F1 75' launch event is something he personally does not "like", hinting that we would prefer to follow Max Verstappen and not travel to the event in London if possible.
Formula 1 will host an opening with all teams in 2025. At the O2 arena in London, all drivers and teams should appear to present the cars for the new season to fans. The event to be held on 18 February has seen a lot of support from drivers on the grid, but from Verstappen, it has not gone down well.
The Dutchman revealed in an online stream that he would prefer to call in sick for the event. According to Verstappen, it would never be a real car unveiling anyway, as all the team want to cover up as much as possible, with only the livery being the 'new' aspect unveiled to the world. With that being said, it is not just the Red Bull Racing driver who is not too keen on the recent, but his championship rival too.
Norris may join Verstappen on 'holiday' during the event
"If I get told to be there I guess I'll be there. I might see where Max is going on holiday and join him," Norris joked in the Las Vegas Grand Prix press conference. "It's a cool event. I'm happy for everyone. I think it sold out extremely quickly. It's cool for a lot of fans, it's a big thing for Formula 1. I don't know how it's going to be done. I don't know the layout of events but I'd rather be at home and relaxing and preparing for the season. That's my side. I don't like these types of things. I'm not a public person. I like to relax and do my things, but it's also our job, so, at the end of the day, we can't complain."
Liam Lawson, who sat in the same part of the press conference as Norris, concurred with Norris' words that it could be a great event for the fans. Esteban Ocon addressed a press conference earlier, and he had the same thoughts.
"As a fan of the sport, it was honestly a pain to be watching every day a new livery, and sometimes you are missing it because you are doing something else and you see it at different times. I think at least we have one day when we see all the cars, and as a fan of the sport I'm excited about that. Of course, it's one more event for us which is not ideal in that period, because it's going to be very busy, we need to prepare, we need to be fully trained before we get into the season, etc. But, I think it's much better organised than how it was before."
This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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