19 Minutes With Lando Norris, the Surprise Winner of the Miami Formula 1 Race

Congratulations are in order: Lando Norris is now a Formula 1 winner!

The Bristol, England–born 24-year-old, who has raced for Team McLaren for his entire five-year F1 career, took his maiden place on the top step of the podium at the Grand Prix in Miami yesterday, holding off the formidable Max Verstappen, who until the Miami race had won 22 of the last 24. (It proved to be a big weekend overall for McLaren: Bianca Bustamante also had her first podium finish of the season in the F1 Academy race on Sunday.)

As he crossed the finish line, the TV picked up his audio: Norris let out two huge screams and then a laugh (which, in Norris’s case, is more of a giggle–the internet kind of goes crazy for his slightly goofy and highly likable persona). And then: “I love you all. I love you all. Thank you so much. I knew it. I knew it when I came into this moment.”

Norris and I actually chatted a few days before the race—about what was working going into the landmark weekend, his state of mind in 2024, his sense of style, and his not-so-secret passion for photography.

Vogue: Hey, Lando—thanks for this, I know you’re busy on race week. There’s so much going on in Miami right now.

Landon Norris: All good! Yeah, it’s been fun—I’ve been playing padel at a place called Reserve.

Love that place—by the Miami Design District, right?

Yeah, exactly. I try to play padel wherever I am. I play back home in Monaco and in the UK when I can. Some of the other drivers take it more seriously, but I like to just do it with my friends.

Where’s your head at right now, both with Miami and with the season so far?

Honestly, there aren’t too many things that are different. I think we’re in quite a settled place, in a good way—everyone [on the team] is working together in a better way than ever before. We’ve got our heads down too. There’s a lot of noise coming from other teams and places, but you know, me and Oscar [Piastri, the other McLaren driver], we’re really focusing on what we need to focus on—and 2024 has been strong. We’re consistently there, even on tracks we didn’t expect to be quite as quick on. Really, there are no negatives at the moment—we’re just putting in good, consistent performances. And when things go that way, we get on the podium. I think this weekend will be exciting. I think it will shake things up a bit.

Switching gears from on the track to off: What do you think of paddock ’fits? Do you dress up for arrivals, or do you think about your style in the public eye?

I am, more often than not, a loungewear kind of guy. There’s nothing I like more than going home and being in some comfy things—even when I go out, when I travel…really everywhere. I’m a hoodie guy. I’m always in my hoodies.

So it’s not really front and center with you, the whole recent to-do around arrival ’fits…

My ’fits for the track…[Norris laughs]. They vary. I need to find someone who can style me. I think I have okay taste, but I don’t have the best ideas on what goes together. I’m always a Kith fan. I don’t do fancy, fancy stuff, no matter what. Typically, I like straightforward and simple.

Are you a watch collector?

I love my watches. McLaren is with Richard Mille as a team, but I am also a fan personally. I have a few. One day I hope I’ll be able to have more.

What are you after right now?

I love old watches, to be honest. I love the colorful Stella dials on Rolexes. They’ve brought them back a bit.

I’ve always wanted to ask you about your photography, which you show on your Instagram account, @lando.jpg. Is that just to have your own outlet away from racing?

Honestly, I’ve let it die down a bit over the past few months. I also added @land0.mov. (I needed to do zero, because the o was taken.) It’s really about memories with friends, but I have always loved photography and making little videos ever since I was a kid. My favorite place in the world to photograph is Tokyo. It’s really just a hobby—though I do want to get @lando.jpg to a million followers; then I’ll be happy.

You’re not far off. I saw your appearance on Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Chicken Shop Date and loved it, and you’re super-popular on TikTok. Have you thought about doing any podcasting or in-front-of-the-camera work, where you’re doing the interviewing?

I feel terrible on-camera. I feel like…well, maybe one day. It’s not something that comes naturally to me. I have to try very hard to do it. I struggle to find it normal. I just want to drive my car and go home!

This interview has been edited and condensed.

This article was originally published on Vogue.com.