Formula 1 fan suspicions have been answered after it was recently confirmed the 20 drivers do in fact share a WhatsApp group—and Lando Norris has granted some insight into what goes on behind the scenes.
Interest was piqued after George Russell confirmed in February that the group does exist and is fittingly called 'Grid Gang'. The Mercedes man told 'The Fast and The Curious' it's "not like we send banter in there day after day," but there are occasions when memes and the like are sent in response to certain on-track events.
McLaren counterpart Norris gave his own take on the communication collective when he appeared on the podcast, though he 'couldn't find any memes'. That being said, F1 enthusiasts will be pleased to see any further light shed on the matter, with fans constantly jostling to get a closer look into drivers' lives.
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“It’s true," confirmed the McLaren driver. "It’s not so much like ‘hey, we’re all mates’ - it’s a lot more for talking about things that can help us as drivers in terms of rules, regulations. . .it’s ‘how can we represent ourselves?’ I don’t know how much [George] revealed, he’s like the head of it.”
It makes sense that Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GDPA) director Russell, 25, should be the admin of the group given his experience in representing his peers. Norris also revealed 1976 F1 world champion and notorious motorsport playboy James Hunt takes centre stage as the group's profile picture.
Hunt holds great renown in motorsport circles and was famed for his loud and often-outspoken personality. His F1 career peaked with a world title while at McLaren in 1976, though it was often his personal life that earned him a prominent place in the headlines.
The rumours have long suggested Hunt slept with 5,000 women prior to his death from a heart attack in 1993, while his son, Freddie, believes the story he bedded 35 air stewardesses in Tokyo prior to his 1976 triumph. However, the WhatsApp activities among the current grid members suggest nothing so scandalous goes on today.
“It’s a little bit of everyone,” Norris continued regarding whom the most active contributors are in the group “We are all kind of chatting and working together to come up with different ideas. We’ve got Esteban [Ocon], we got Zhou [Guanyu], we’ve got Alex [Albon]. Everyone chats in it [but] I can’t find any memes.”
It's difficult to imagine the likes of 41-year-old Fernando Alonso being too bothered about sharing gags with his paddock rivals. That may change this season, however, considering the Spaniard has made a stunning start to life at Aston Martin having finished third in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
