LANDO NORRIS

For the drivers, the Russian Grand Prix is arguably the most laid-back race weekend of the year. The commute to the track is easy, the weather is placid and the circuit isn’t particularly challenging. Additionally, all media and PR duties are greatly reduced.

With the Singapore GP held just a week earlier, it’s easy for many F1 folk to find an excuse to skip the hassle of obtaining visas and transiting through Moscow to get to this remote part of the world.

Thursday interview slots to speak with F1 drivers come with strict time constraints, but half-way through having Lando Norris answering your questions, F1 Racing inquires if our time is up. “You’re already five minutes over,” says McLaren’s genial press attaché Martyn Pass, “but it’s fine, you can continue…”

We carry on chatting for at least another ten minutes and Norris is happy to answer every single question. It’s remarkable to think he