From saying, “My aim is to be in Formula 1” to saying, “I love doing Formula 1 because I love to drive. That’s why I can never call it a job,” Lando Norris has come a long way. He was a boy who had a dream, one he achieved in 2019 when McLaren gave him his official call-up. It’s been just five years since the young Brit joined the sport, but he’s given countless memories to McLaren fans, burrowing his way into their hearts. On November 13, his birthday, as he turned 24, a compilation of everything Lando Norris is how the Papaya Army celebrated.

A couple of weeks ago, at the Mexican GP, a young fan met Norris on his birthday. Meeting his hero, the fan couldn’t control his tears, and Norris couldn’t help but hug him. Less than a week later in Brazil, the Brit opened up about the experience. He said, “To think that I have the influence on someone to make them cry in a good way, that’s something very special. That’s genuinely one of the best bits of [being an F1 driver]. Seeing this response and having that feeling of making people happy, it’s such a rare thing.” 

As imperceptible as it may seem to him that he can make people happy just by driving cars, it’s true. For all the happiness he’s brought them, a fan posted a video on X of all that’s led up to this moment in Norris’ career. From becoming the youngest champion in senior karting to becoming the youngest Britisher to race in F1. From achieving his podium to every single one that’s followed, and from being a hardcore racer on track to being so uninhibitedly Golden Retriever-esque off it. It’s all there.

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The McLaren driver may have said, “What do I do? I just drive a car, so stop crying.” But that didn’t stop the Papaya Army from “crying” and “sobbing” regardless.

The journey of Lando Norris is ‘devastatingly’ emotional, especially on his birthday

Apart from the boatload of F1 memories Lando Norris made in the past five years, the video has snippets of his father, Zak Brown, and Christian Horner talking about Norris. It’s the story of how he’s made his way into every McLaren fan’s heart. How could the Papaya Army not get emotional after watching this ode that practically made them fall in love with him all over again?

With all that Norris has achieved so far, how could fans not be proud of him? 

Watching the video was like opening up an old photo album, a trip down memory lane. And what does that make people? Nostalgia. And doesn’t nostalgia lead to happy tears more often than not? 

That explains the tears. It also proves just how much the young Brit has come to mean to the Papaya Army. 

Mix Lando Norris’ journey through the years with Harry Styles’ Fine Line? That’s a recipe for a sob session.

The video’s so emotional that it made people compare it to ripping their hearts out. Woah, that’s some real impact you’ve had on your fans, Lando.

What’s another word for that feeling? Devastating.

What was your reaction after watching the video? In the words of Lando Norris himself, “Are you crying? I think I’m crying.”

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