Lando Norris wrestles 740hp McLaren around wet Nurburgring

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There are certain circuits every racing driver knows by reputation before they even set foot on the asphalt, and the Nurburgring Nordschleife often sits at the very top of that list.

Lando Norris recently completed his first lap of the Green Hell during a short break in the Formula 1 calendar, and McLaren has now released the onboard footage.

It is a six-minute ride-along with the reigning world champion that is equally as hilarious as it is genuinely impressive as he pilots a road-legal McLaren 750S, weaving his way between other drivers also trying their luck on the legendary track.

Both Norris and his team-mate Oscar Piastri were attending a McLaren filming day, with the duo eventually turning their attention to some exploratory laps. With a V8 producing 740 hp and 590 lb ft of torque at their disposal and 60mph dispatched in just 2.7 seconds, the wet track proved to be quite the challenge for the Touristenfahrten private session.

"How many cars are there?! Bloody hell," Norris laughed as he raced cars from the circuit's home country. "Can't get beat by a BMW, not letting that happen. Oh, I'm way quicker," he said before spotting a faster car in his mirrors. "My first time! Sorry!" he shouted.

"Oh, McLaren's got too much power. McLaren's got too much power," he continued as the car's tyres wrestled against the greasy asphalt before he was met with a Skoda.

"Holy moly. There's a Skoda! Come on, what a legend. Driving a Skoda out on track, what a geezer." As he accelerated past on the straight: "You're my hero!"


The simulator, specifically iRacing, had been instrumental in preparing him for this moment, albeit not quite practising in the same league of car: "I don't know how much you need to brake for some of these corners. I've only really driven this in a Mazda MX-5 online."

The Nordschleife has exploded in popularity recently thanks to Max Verstappen's exploits. The Dutchman raced in front of a sellout crowd at the Nurburgring 24 Hours. While his car suffered a race-ending mechanical issue, he showed immense performance.

Whether Norris pursues the same racing licence eventually is yet to be seen, but this will have certainly put the idea in people's minds.

His driving was far from record-breaking, but this is an F1 champion navigating tourist traffic in a 740 horsepower supercar. It's one hell of a watch.

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