Lando Norris reveals 'scary' motorsport first: 'You just shut your eyes'

Lando Norris has revealed that he experienced a "scary" motorsport first earlier this season in Miami, where he sneezed during a race and was forced to shut his eyes.

The Briton finished second in the Miami Grand Prix behind Oscar Piastri, a year on from Norris’ first Formula 1 victory at the Miami International Autodrome.

However, the highlight of the Miami GP weekend was the Sprint race, which took place in mixed conditions and resulted in a chaotic 100 km event featuring a major accident involving Fernando Alonso.

Alonso’s crash triggered a safety car period, during which Norris led the field — having started at the front in the Sprint — and went on to take the win.

As recently revealed by the 25-year-old, he sneezed while behind the safety car — one of the first times this has happened to him in his motorsport career — prompting concern that he might be hit from behind.

Speaking on the Quadcast podcast about whether he had ever sneezed in his helmet, Norris said:
"I did, actually — the other week."

When asked if it was scary, he replied:
"Yeah. I mean, because you shut your eyes… I think it was under the safety car.

"I think it was Miami, it was under safety car. Fernando’s [Alonso] car was in the wall. We were under safety car, under double yellows. So you're going super slow, and you're really close to the guy in front.

"And you know when you just feel it coming? I’m like, ‘Oh my God,’ there’s a car just behind me. And I didn’t even have the reaction to hit the brakes, because your eyes just shut.

"I was scared I was going to get rear-ended. But yeah, I think it was honestly one of the first times that’s ever happened to me."