Please choose whether this site may use cookies or related technologies (“Cookies”) as described below. You can learn more about how this site uses cookies and related technologies by reading our privacy policy linked below.
Please choose whether this site may use cookies or related technologies (“Cookies”) as described below. You can learn more about how this site uses cookies and related technologies by reading our privacy policy linked below.
Racer. Streamer. Meme lord. If anyone was going to step up to our challenge, it was McLaren’s Lando Norris. On Sunday night, the British racer took part in the first of our driver challenges, fighting in four segments against a host of special guests.
The event was divided into four segments, and Norris scored points based on how well he performed in each of the scenarios. Here’s a look at how he got on…
Driver versus driver. Golfing legend Ian Poulter answered the call and stepped up to face Lando Norris in our first battle. The challenge? A five-lap race around Silverstone, but with a twist. Poulter got a 20-second head start, and Norris had the task of hunting him down.
It might sound simple, but the Woburn Golf and Country Club pro looked rather difficult to beat, maintaining his lead. That was until the end of the fourth lap…
Slowing down to show off, Poulter failed to realise there was one more lap remaining! With the Renault stationary on the line, Norris shot past into the lead, and take the win. Poulter meanwhile was left frustrated, but was able to see the funny side.
Ferrari Driver Academy’s young challenger Dino Beganovic loves a battle. He too got to race Norris around Silverstone, although this was a straight fight from the line. He looked to have the pace to keep up in the first couple of laps, but a spin put him out of contention, which he attributed to dirty air.
Norris offered to let Beganovic catch back up in the interest of fairness, but a technical issue unfortunately meant he was unable to continue.
Red Bull athlete Philipp Eng jumped aboard an RB15 with one goal – take pole! In this straight shootout, Eng and Norris duelled for pole position in Silverstone, with one point awarded for the fastest time. Though Eng headed the timetables for the early stages of the contest, he was unable to hold the home racer back for good. Norris took pole, and another point in the challenge.
In the final segment of the show, Lando squared up against a lobby of 19 fast and furious F1 fans ready to do battle around Suzuka Circuit.
The response to the call to action for entry was incredible, with hundreds adding their username to try and get into the lobby. The lucky ones all jumped in the 1998 McLaren MP4-13 for a blast around Suzuka.
Norris had to start from P14 and fight his way through the field, completing a host of challenges to score more points throughout. A lightning start saw the McLaren man surge up to eighth, but contact shortly after dropped him way down the order. His attempted comeback looked on track, until a spin, and subsequent interference from the weather played havoc. Confronted with a choice of pitting for wet tyres or staying out.
His race engineers – commentators Tom Deacon and Jack Nicholls – advised the latter, although this proved to be shortsighted, and he slumped over the line in P16. He was generously given two points for his determination, and for his powerful start, giving him a tally of five from the evening.
Check out highlights from the final race below.
Our next event will be the Vietnam Virtual Grand Prix, taking place at 20:00 BST on Sunday April 5 around the Australian Grand Prix Circuit. We’re streaming once again on YouTube, Twitch and Facebook, so make sure you tune in!
