Two Formula 1 world champions, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, have contrasting approaches to one of motorsport’s most beloved disciplines.
Max Verstappen’s rally passion
Four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen has always shown a strong passion for rallying, a discipline in which his father Jos built a successful second career. Jos Verstappen won the Belgian championship in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 and, at nearly 54 years old, continues to compete at a high level, often beating much younger drivers.
This family background has brought Max Verstappen even closer to rallying. Recently, during a Red Bull promotional shoot, Verstappen drove a former Ford Fiesta WRC once used by Sébastien Ogier, calling it his favorite Ford among all road and race cars from the American manufacturer.
Private driving experience and fun
Verstappen tested the Fiesta WRC on improvised tracks at an airport alongside his father Jos, admitting that to beat him he had to push “flat out.” Red Bull filmed the sessions and uploaded them on YouTube, showing the Verstappens enjoying informal, highly entertaining driving sessions. These experiences, however, remain far from competitive racing: Max enjoys rally cars privately but has no intention of competing professionally.
Despite his evident passion, Verstappen has categorically ruled out entering the WRC or other professional rally competitions, citing the risk level as too high compared to Formula 1. “If you hit a tree, the tree doesn’t move,” the Dutchman explained. He noted that in rallying, mistakes can have dramatic consequences due to trees, walls, deep ditches, lack of runoff areas, or insufficient barriers—unlike in Formula 1, where safety zones and protections provide a higher margin. For Verstappen, it’s a rational decision rather than a lack of curiosity or skill: the danger is too great to justify serious participation.
Lando Norris’ rally day in Scandinavia
Recently, a crossover between two motorsport worlds went viral: Lando Norris, McLaren F1 driver, joined Oliver Solberg, young WRC talent and official Toyota driver, for a Scandinavian driving experience. The weekend spanned Norway and Sweden and offered a driving adventure far removed from F1 asphalt tracks.
Norris traveled to Scandinavia to explore alternative sensations to his usual racing environment. Organized in collaboration with Monster Energy, the event focused on drifting and ice driving using the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, the rally-spec version of the Japanese compact. The day involved Norris, Oliver Solberg, Petter Solberg (Oliver’s father and former WRC champion), and other motorsport figures. Social media clips show Norris behind the wheel, enjoying spectacular slides and drifts on snow.
Shared driving experience
The session featured a traditional “driver swap”: Norris first rode as co-driver alongside Oliver Solberg, who executed drifts on the ice. Later, they switched roles, with Lando at the wheel of the GR Yaris Rally2 on a frozen Swedish lake, while Oliver took the navigator’s seat. Petter Solberg followed playfully in his own car, creating a chase sequence. This event was part of the Monster Energy SubZero Ice Rally Experience, designed to bring drivers from different disciplines together in extreme and fun contexts.
Participants shared photos and videos on their social media, highlighting Norris at the wheel with Solberg alongside him, performing high-speed ice drifts. Fans were captivated by the contrast between the precise, clean style of F1 and the wilder, unpredictable rally approach.
The event carried a subtle message from Norris to a racing rival with pedigree like Max Verstappen, signaling competitive spirit ahead of the upcoming 2026 F1 World Championship season where both will be key contenders.
The psychological battle between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen is already manifesting in their choice of off-track hobbies. While Verstappen’s cautious respect for the dangers of rallying highlights his calculated approach to preserving his F1 career, Norris’s willingness to dive into the “wilder” side of motorsport suggests a driver who is currently thriving on adrenaline and newfound confidence. This article summarizes the contrasting philosophies of the two champions—one wary of the immovable trees of the WRC, and the other embracing the unpredictability of ice racing—setting a fascinating tone for their upcoming title fight on the world’s most sophisticated circuits.
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