Norris’s celebration draws criticism as Coulthard calls on FIA to reflect too

Lando Norris has made his name in Formula 1 for many reasons. One is his trademark celebration of banging the champagne bottle. Spectacular as it looks, it has caused problems on more than one occasion. Lando’s celebration in Brazil would have been comical had it not put him at risk of injury.

Not that we want to cause unnecessary alarm, but Norris was lucky to escape three nasty injuries in the space of fifteen seconds. First, he was fortunate not to cut himself on the shards of the broken bottle, then to avoid more serious burns from the pyrotechnics, and finally not to step on the broken glass while blinded by champagne and sparks, given that racing boots have very thin soles and offer no protection in situations like these.

Granted, Lando’s celebration looks spectacular, but over the years it has already destroyed a precious Hungarian trophy worth €40,000, and in Brazil it almost left him injured. While we do not want to spoil the fun or preach, it is worth at least considering whether Lando’s champagne celebration could do with a few health and safety tweaks.

David Coulthard agrees, praising Norris for his performance on the Up To Speed podcast while also taking him to task over his celebration. “The obvious one is Lando, absolutely brilliant. Although we have to address right at the top, he’s got to stop doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome,” said the former Williams, McLaren and Red Bull driver.

“Banging the bottle, like… Right here, kids, banging glass on anything is not a good idea. You teach your smallest of children don’t do that, and yet he continues to do it,” said Coulthard.

“He’s very lucky, in all seriousness, he hasn’t, like, gashed his hand,” added Coulthard.

He also called on the FIA to look at the podium pyrotechnics. Champagne is known to impair your vision, and getting it directly in your eyes is far from pleasant. Lando himself said he had been blinded by it, which was why he then put his head into the pyrotechnics and burnt himself. “FIA obviously need to have a little look at the podium to do a little sense check on anything that could sparkle its way into the eye of a driver,” said Coulthard.

Only time will tell whether Norris abandons the trademark podium celebration he has performed since his junior racing days. The events in Brazil suggest that, at the very least, he should do it a little more carefully and safely. “I thought it was a brilliant drive from Lando. McLaren’s strategy team got the calls absolutely right,” said Coulthard’s fellow podcast host Will Buxton, praising Norris and McLaren.

“You’ve already pointed to his difficulties on the podium. I like his champagne – I don’t like it smashing. But he’s done it for years,” added Buxton.