Lando Norris fired back at an official who told him off for drinking Coca-Cola in the Madrid cool-down room on Sunday, insisting: “I just did a race… I can drink what I like.”
The McLaren driver, who started on pole, had to settle for third place at the first-ever race at the Madring street circuit, after losing out in an early virtual safety car (VSC) period. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli claimed the victory, with Max Verstappen coming home in second.
Following each grand prix, the top-three drivers head into the cool-down room, where they take a moment to refresh and watch and discuss the race highlights on a big screen, prior to heading out onto the podium.
And on Sunday, a flashpoint was caught on camera when an official told Norris off for drinking from a can of Coca-Cola on the sofa. Norris sharply replied: “I just did a race, so I’m allowed to drink what I would like. Thank you so much.”
While the official reason for the initial complaint has not been disclosed, Coca-Cola is not an official sponsor of Formula 1, while rival fizzy drink company Pepsi has sponsored the sport since 2025.
Norris’ rebuke was widely praised on social media, with one fan noting: “Good on him honestly, absurd things are happening in F1.”
In terms of energy expended, Norris took part in a 57-lap race over 90 minutes, with an air temperature hovering around 30C and a track temperature of close to 55C. Overall, F1 drivers can burn through 1,500 calories during races and lose up to 5% of their body weight.
Antonelli, meanwhile, now has an 81-point lead in the world championship over Mercedes teammate George Russell (who finished fifth) with nine rounds remaining.
The 20-year-old took advantage of a VSC on lap 15, making his mandatory pit-stop. By the time Norris pitted a lap later, the VSC period had ended and green flag conditions meant the reigning world champion dropped from first to fourth.
The next race is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on 26 September.
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