Lando Norris, the reigning Formula 1 world champion, has received an intriguing offer to ride a MotoGP bike for a test session, a proposal that reconnects the McLaren driver with his roots and his long-standing passion for two wheels.
The current Formula 1 world champion has never hidden his love for motorcycles and, above all, his admiration for Valentino Rossi, one of the greatest legends in the history of motorcycle racing. For this very reason, an offer has now arrived for Lando Norris to complete several kilometres on a MotoGP bike during a dedicated test day. The question many fans are now asking is whether the McLaren driver will decide to accept the proposal.
The relationship between Formula 1 and MotoGP
This would not be the first time that Formula 1 and MotoGP, two benchmark disciplines at the very top of their respective categories, have crossed paths. Back in 2004, Valentino Rossi, fresh from winning his third world championship title, climbed into the cockpit of the Ferrari F2004 for a test at the Fiorano circuit, followed shortly afterwards by a second outing at Valencia. That experience remains one of the most talked-about crossovers in motorsport history.
Another particularly famous episode took place in 2008 at Mugello. After those laps, many insiders claimed that “The Doctor” was just one step away from making his Formula 1 debut. Although that move never materialised, it further strengthened the fascination between the two racing worlds.
The story does not end there. In 2019, the nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi and another living legend, Lewis Hamilton, swapped machines at the Valencia circuit. Rossi drove the Mercedes W08 from the 2017 Formula 1 season, while Hamilton had the opportunity to ride the Italian’s Yamaha MotoGP bike, creating one of the most iconic moments in modern motorsport.
The call for Lando Norris
The proposal made to Lando Norris came directly from Günther Steiner during an appearance on the podcast The Red Flags. The former Haas team principal has since taken on a leading role with Red Bull KTM Tech 3 in MotoGP. “Lando is welcome to ride our bike next year. It even has a colour similar to his McLaren. He can come and try it, and we will find a way to organise the event. It would certainly be a nice thing for him, even if I don’t know whether Zak Brown would be happy to see him on a MotoGP bike,” Steiner said.
In several interviews over the years, Norris has consistently highlighted his deep passion for motorcycles. “It’s actually with bikes that I started, with motocross. I love all off-road sports and I loved them even before watching Formula 1. For me, buggies and desert bikes are the most beautiful things in the world. MotoGP was my starting point,” Lando Norris explained.
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