Norris responds to rally rumours: 'Hopefully that will become a headline'

Lando Norris has dismissed a claim he has been privately testing rally cars - but hopes it does "become a headline" in the future.

Former Williams team manager and former F1 journalist Peter Windsor floated the idea last year that an F1 driver was involved in rally testing, but opted not to name him.

In an appearance on a podcast recently, however, Windsor named Norris. He said: "I hope I’m not giving away too many secrets here when I say I know he’s been out in WRC cars and he’s unbelievably good."

Norris, though, has made clear Windsor's remarks are wide of the mark.

In his media session in the McLaren paddock building ahead of this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, speaking to the written press, including RacingNews365, Norris said: "I really wanted to come in here and say, 'Yeah, it's true', but it's not.

"I said a couple of years ago, I'm not allowed. Zak [Brown, McLaren CEO] doesn't let me drive rally cars, probably for a good reason, but I've said many times I would love to.

"It's so weird how people come up with such things in the media. That's how terrible it is sometimes, rather than just asking me before publishing things."

The Briton, who leads this year's F1 driver standings by three points from team-mate Oscar Piastri, has not ruled out the prospect of rallying in the future.

"I have a lot of respect for rally drivers," he added. "They are definitely crazy and slightly insane, but I would love it because it's a very different aspect compared to what I do now.

"But it's still driving, it's still cars and all those things, [just] probably a bit more on the dangerous side, so I don't know how much I would love it.

"But it's another thing in my life that I would love to tick off at some point, get to experience and have a go, so hopefully that can become a headline at some point and can become the truth."