9 AM ON A LATE SPRING DAY in Monaco and already the sun is intense enough to have GP Racing scuttling for shade in the forecourt of the Columbus Hotel. On the opposite side of the road, in full stealth mode – backwards-turned baseball cap, dark shades and an on-brand Quadrant hoodie – Lando Norris is chatting to a lycra-clad Mark Webber, off to crest one of the local cols on his bicycle before lunch. Webber waves a cheery farewell, clips in and pedals souplesse into the sunshine.
As Lando joins us we notice an additional element of disguise: the wispy beginnings of a beard protruding from his chin, soon to be premiered to viewers of his YouTube channel as he essays an exclusive preview of the new F1 2023 game. Monaco, where Lando has resided since early 2022, is famously protective of the privacy of its residents; we can’t help but wonder if there’s been an element of culture shock having moved from leafy Surrey, where people say hello to one another while out walking the dogs. Is Monaco and the riviera – famously described by Somerset Maugham, who kept a mansion on nearby St Jean Cap Ferrat, as “a sunny place for shady people” – more like London, where residents act as if nobody else exists?
“Kind of,” laughs Lando. “There are more people with chihuahuas in handbags and that sort of
