Aug.22 (GMM) Lando Norris says the public image of him partying since becoming world champion does not reflect how seriously he is preparing for races.
The McLaren driver has been seen socialising more frequently away from the circuit and spent part of the summer break with friends in Ibiza and Greece.
But Norris says appearances are misleading.
“To say I was more focused or in the zone last year, I would say it’s almost the opposite,” he said.
“It’s just social media, what you see and what you choose to believe. It’s amusing even to me at times, seeing what people come up with.”
“I was more focused and ready to get back into things this year, even with less on the line than I was last year when I had a championship on the line.”
Norris says he is still entitled to live like a normal 26-year-old when the opportunity arises.
“I’m 26 years old, I’m young and I can go and have a great time with my friends. I can go out and meet people and live a little bit. Live one week of my life like a 26-year-old would.”
“The rest of my life is not normal.”
He also returned to the issue of being followed by paparazzi, something he recently described as “violating”.
“I know that’s the life I’ve entered into and it shouldn’t be a surprise at the end of the day,” said Norris.
“People are going to be thinking I’m taking my foot off the gas and so forth, but it isn’t at all.”
Norris also dismissed assumptions made from one social-media appearance during the break.
“There’s one photo from my friend doing a live stream and me looking drunk, even though I was very, very sober at that point,” he said. “Then everyone online made it look like I was completely gone.”
“But I was the complete opposite. So that’s how easy it is for people to come up with their own different perception of things.”