Did you know Lando Norris started on 4 legs before 4 wheels?

McLaren driver Lando Norris revealed that he developed an interest in horse riding from where he developed an interest in quad biking and ultimately settling for F1. The Briton had no plans to be an F1 driver before he visited a certain venue in his hometown.

While answering questions on British GQ's segment 'Actually Me', Lando Norris read a portion about interests on his Wikipedia page and said:

"That is completely true. It's a longer journey. I started on horse riding, so I started on four legs. But then I moved to quad biking. I was a big fan. Then I really got into motorcross. But the changing moment was when I went to go and watch the British championships at Clay Pigeon, which is my local car track in Yeoval. That changed me."

In the beginning, Italian motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi was also a big driving force in Lando Norris's career. While Norris ultimately joined F1, he told 'Motorsport' this about Rossi last year:

"He was the guy I watched when I was what, four, five, six years old, got me into racing, got me onto a motorbike first. So yeah, he’s been the guy that I looked up to, the guy whose kind of helped me get to this position where I am, because probably without watching him, my ambition of being a racing driver probably wouldn’t have been so high."

After trying out everything, including motorbikes and horse riding, Norris got into karting permanently. However, the 22-year-old driver has been very open about the influence of other motorsports and Valentino Rossi on his racing career.

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Lando Norris talks about the mentality required to be a racing driver

Lando Norris backed himself when asked if he could beat Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren driver was certain that the task wouldn't be easy, but said that a driver has to believe in himself.

Speaking to 'British GQ', Norris weighed his chances against the seven-time world champion and said:

“There’s a tough question. I’ve got to say yes. By no means would it be easy. Lewis is one of the greatest ever, but if you want to do well, you’ve got to believe you’re better than the rest.”

There's no doubt that Lando Norris has impressed many with his exceptional performances in only the fourth or fifth fastest McLaren. The driver has massively outperformed a much more experienced Daniel Ricciardo in the same machinery and is touted as a future world champion.