Donald Trump was in attendance to watch Lando Norris win his first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami on Sunday, with the former US president seen congratulating the McLaren star.
Formula 1 enthusiasts are expressing their discontent with Lando Norris following his revelation that he holds ‘a great deal of admiration’ for Donald Trump, the winner of the Miami Grand Prix.
British driver Norris clinched his first F1 Grand Prix victory on Sunday with an impressive performance in his McLaren, finishing over seven seconds ahead of three-time world champion Max Verstappen under the scorching Florida sun. Former US president Trump made an appearance at the event and showed his support for Norris after receiving a controversial tour of the McLaren garage from team CEO Zak Brown, jokingly referring to himself as the young driver’s ‘lucky charm’.
Trump, aged 77, is currently facing trial in New York on 34 counts of fraud linked to hush-money payments made to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels before his election victory in 2016. The former reality TV star, now turned president, has maintained his innocence and argued that the accusations against him are not criminal.
Norris expressed his gratitude for being congratulated by Trump, the former US commander-in-chief who served from 2016 to 2020. Despite losing the subsequent election to Democrat opponent Joe Biden, Trump is now gearing up for a rematch this November in his pursuit of a second presidential term. When asked about his thoughts on Trump’s presence at McLaren, Norris admitted that he didn’t see him in the garage as he was busy preparing for the race.
However, Norris acknowledged that Trump approached him afterwards to offer his congratulations, which he considered an honor. Having someone of Trump’s stature take the time to acknowledge his achievements was truly a special moment for Norris.
He mentioned being my lucky charm since it was my victory, so I’m not sure if he’ll attend more races in the future. Nevertheless, there are plenty of amazing individuals, awesome people who have shown up this weekend.
Donald is a person deserving of much respect in various aspects. It’s truly heartwarming when someone like him recognizes your abilities and appreciates the hard work you put in. I am grateful for that acknowledgment. It was a cool moment, and that’s all.
Norris’ remarks have caused controversy, as a supporter on X/Twitter lamented: “It is extremely disheartening to see Lando praising Donald Trump as someone worthy of respect. That person does not deserve any respect whatsoever. Not even a tiny bit.”
Another individual chimed in: “I have lost all respect for Lando following his statements regarding Donald Trump.” A third person then commented: “What a negative shadow cast over an otherwise fantastic weekend…”.
Another person criticized team principal Brown, expressing their disappointment: “Zak really disappointed me this time! It makes me doubt my loyalty to McLaren and F1.”
A supporter of Norris came to his defense, questioning: “What should Lando have said in that moment!? He was simply showing respect and courtesy, it’s all part of the public relations game.” Another individual contended: “Norris was put in a difficult position by McLaren, a team that I hold dear, who essentially imposed Trump on him. It tarnished an otherwise fantastic weekend.”
Following the criticism faced after Trump’s visit to their garage, McLaren released a statement stating that they are a non-political organization. However, they acknowledged and held respect for the position of the President of the United States. McLaren accepted the request to visit their garage on race day, along with the president of the FIA and the CEOs of Liberty Media and Formula 1.
It was a privilege for us to have McLaren Racing selected as the ambassador of F1, allowing us to demonstrate the top-notch engineering we contribute to motorsport on a global scale.
On the social media platform Truth Social, Trump extended his congratulations to McLaren, expressing his deep admiration for their victory in the prestigious Miami Formula 1 race. He emphasized the significance of his visit to the McLaren car before the race and highlighted the importance of endorsement, stating that it is exactly what our country needs to achieve success.
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