Lando Norris finished the Italian Grand Prix of Formula 1 in worrying physical conditions, to the point of having difficulty standing during the post-race interview. The current F1 champion stated that he was ‘seeing stars,’ after one of the most physically demanding races of the season.
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Before speaking to the press, Norris needed a few moments to compose himself and leaned on the barrier that separated the television crews from the drivers. Then, he asked for water and explained that his vision was affected by the effort: “I’m seeing stars now. I don’t see you… I see six of you,” he said.
The McLaren driver continued the interview leaning on the microphone stand, and had to answer a journalist who asked if he was okay. Norris confirmed he was fine and ended the conversation, but his condition reignited the debate about the effects of heat on drivers.
Three days before the race, the Italian GP had been classified by the FIA as a thermal risk event, due to forecast temperatures above 31°C in Monza. According to the protocol, drivers could use a mandatory cooling system or choose not to use it, adding 0.5 kg of ballast to the car to compensate for the weight difference.
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Norris arrived in Monza after winning the Hungarian and Dutch GPs, but had a more complicated weekend, starting only ninth and finishing fourth. To achieve the result, he had to push the pace in the final laps to overtake his teammate, Oscar Piastri.
The thermal risk protocol was created in 2025, after the problems faced at the 2023 Qatar GP. On that occasion, Logan Sargeant left the race due to heatstroke, Lance Stroll nearly fainted, and Esteban Ocon fell ill, even vomiting inside his helmet. In Monza, Norris’s case was less severe, but it again highlighted the physical toll caused by extreme conditions.
After the race, Norris appeared more recovered in a McLaren social media post. Still, the interview in the press area once again exposed the physical intensity faced by drivers in Formula 1, while the next GP, in Madrid, also has forecast temperatures above 30°C.
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