Lando Norris has won the world championship, and among those congratulating him is a legendary champion and childhood idol: Valentino Rossi.
Just a few days ago, Lando Norris celebrated securing his first drivers’ title after a fierce battle with Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. Amid the general celebrations, he received congratulations from numerous personalities in motorsport and beyond, including a special message from Valentino Rossi.
After an intense season fought until the final lap, Lando Norris was crowned world champion in Abu Dhabi. During the celebrations, the British driver received many messages of congratulations from various sports figures.
Among the most cherished messages was one from Valentino Rossi, the absolute idol of the McLaren driver since childhood. Norris’s admiration for the Italian racing legend is no secret: he grew up following MotoGP and admiring the iconic number 46 long before he started his F1 career.
It is well known that before committing to karting, Lando was fascinated by motorcycles, and his first instinct as a youngster was to race on two wheels. His choice of racing number, 4, reportedly came from a desire to avoid getting too close to the “legendary” 46—a way to honor his hero without risking imitation.
The yellow tones on his helmets, often appearing in various designs, have also been interpreted as a tribute to Rossi’s iconic color palette. With his first world championship victory, Norris gets a small step closer to his childhood idol, who personally congratulated him with a brief but meaningful message.
“Congratulations Lando. You are F1 world champion. I am really proud of you. See you soon,” Rossi wrote—a short message, but one that surely carried great significance for Norris. Here is the link to the video of Rossi’s congratulations to the new British champion: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRLbmHXd/
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