JUST IN: NEW LANDO NORRIS VLOG REVEALS PRIVATE MESSAGE TO FANS AFTER TITLE
Lando Norris shares the "terrifying" reality of his F1 title win in a new vlog. Hear his emotional tribute to his family and fans.
Lando Norris just dropped his first vlog since locking in the 2025 Formula 1 world title. He wanted to give fans a real look back—especially at that Abu Dhabi race where he pulled his McLaren into third and sealed the deal.
In the video, Norris calls that last week before the finale “the biggest race of my life.” He admits he had no idea how to act or even feel, knowing that just finishing third would make him champion over Max Verstappen and his own teammate Oscar Piastri.
“Every kid dreams about winning something big,” he says, looking straight into the camera before heading to the FIA ceremony in Uzbekistan. “You hope, you dream, but you never actually believe it’ll happen to you. But look—we did it.”
He goes on, “That whole week, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I couldn’t figure out whether I should be pumped or just plain terrified. Honestly, I get nervous before every race, every qualifying. That’s normal for me. I thought this time it’d be chaos inside my head.
“But once I got in the car, everything settled down. I felt calm. It just felt like another day at work. I knew what was on the line, but I was ready. It was time.”
Norris clinched his first F1 title at Yas Marina, crossing the line behind Verstappen and Piastri after a wild chase that also involved Charles Leclerc from Ferrari. Just 26, Norris had enough in the tank to steer his McLaren home and win the championship by two points.
He says, “Genuinely, it felt like a normal race. But with two laps to go, it’s like time slowed down. I started thinking about every bit of the car—every screw, every wire. Your mind wanders, like, ‘What could go wrong?’ since everything’s going right. I caught myself thinking back to my first day in a go-kart, just messing around, doing doughnuts on a mini tennis court with slicks on.”
His parents waited in the garage—his mom, Cisca Wauman, had tears in her eyes.
“Suddenly I pictured my mom standing there,” Norris remembers. “That was the moment, honestly, the first time all year, that it sank in—what was about to happen. I just saw the garage in my head, my parents, my brother, and my sisters, all waiting for those last four corners.”
He calls the moment “unforgettable.” Now, Norris stands with the greats—Schumacher, Lauda, and Hamilton—as an F1 champion.
“Thank you so much,” he says to the fans. “It’s been amazing to represent you and give it everything every weekend. Thanks for sticking by me. Now I’ll go lift that trophy, and I’ll be thinking of everyone who’s been part of this journey.”
MOTORSPORT WORLD MOURNS AFTER FATAL SEVEN-CAR NüRBURGRING CRASH CLAIMS JUHA MIETTINEN
Juha Miettinen, 66, has died following a seven-car crash at the Nürburgring. Get the latest details on this motorsport tragedy.
Max Verstappen expressed his condolences after the tragic passing of Juha Miettinen, who lost his life in a multi-car accident during qualifying for the 24 Hours of Nurburgring.
The incident occurred early in the weekend’s opening race, a four-hour event that started at 5:30 pm local time. About 25 minutes into the race, seven cars collided at a tight hairpin just before the Karussell section.
The race was immediately stopped with a red flag, and no replays of the crash were shown during the live broadcast. Some onboard footage from the #992 Porsche AT2, driven by Bjorn Griesemann, provided a glimpse of the scene, though technical problems with the cameras limited coverage there.
Misha Charoudin, a driver who was directly behind the crash, mentioned to Viaplay that “someone left fluid behind", causing six or seven cars to pile into each other. He noted, “You come into that stretch at 220 kph, and if you can’t brake…”
Race control later confirmed that Miettinen, 66, succumbed to injuries from the crash. Despite the quick response from emergency teams, paramedics were unable to save him. He was pronounced dead in the medical centre after all efforts to resuscitate him failed.
The other six drivers involved received precautionary medical evaluations, either at the medical centre or nearby hospitals, with none reported to be in critical condition.
Following the accident, the decision was made to halt the race. The FIA, while not the event organiser, was involved in several operational aspects and issued a statement expressing sorrow over Miettinen’s death during the first qualifying race of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring.
“Our thoughts go out to his family, friends, and all connected to the event,” the FIA said.
Verstappen, whose teammate Lucas Auer was driving the #3 Mercedes-AMG during the crash, also shared his thoughts that evening.
“Shocked by what happened today,” he wrote. “Motorsport is something we all love, but moments like this serve as a stark reminder of the risks involved. My heartfelt condolences go to Juha’s family and loved ones.”
FERNANDO MENDOZA AIMING TO JOIN RARE ELITE CLUB: HEISMAN AND NATIONAL CHAMPION IN SAME YEAR
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza is the consensus No. 1 pick! See why the Raiders are locked in on their future franchise leader.
Everyone’s expecting Fernando Mendoza to go first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in this week’s NFL Draft. The guy’s locked in, with absolutely zero distractions, just chasing his pro football dreams.
Mendoza’s coming off a run with the Indiana Hoosiers that put him on the verge of something rare. If he pulls it off, he’ll join the tiny handful of quarterbacks who’ve won both the Heisman and the National Championship, then gone first overall, all in the same year. He’s determined to do just that, and he’s made it clear nothing’s getting in his way.
He’s even talked openly about skipping out on dating. 'No time for a girlfriend right now,' Mendoza said. He’d end up giving her all his attention when really, he wants to be watching more film and working on football. He laid it out during the National Championship media day: right now, his phone just has LinkedIn and YouTube. No doomscrolling through football takes, and definitely no reading what random fans say about him. He tunes it all out, focusing on feedback from his coach and the other quarterbacks in the room. So far, it’s paid off; he played his best football through the playoffs, staying away from social media and deleting every app that could steal his focus. In the end, it helped him get that National Championship.
Even though the Raiders just brought in Kirk Cousins, Mendoza’s still the favourite to take the starting job as a rookie. Scouts see him as the clear top quarterback in this draft, though ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky has argued that Alabama’s Ty Simpson actually deserves the top spot.
Looking past this year, the 2027 draft is shaping up to be a stronger class for quarterbacks, with guys like Arch Manning, Dante Moore, LaNorris Sellers, Julian Sayin, and DJ Lagway all expected to throw their names in the hat. But right now, the spotlight’s on Mendoza, and he’s making sure nothing shakes his focus.
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