Steiner: Lando Norris's Coca-Cola cooldown room moment was unprofessional

Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner has criticised Lando Norris for drinking Coca-Cola in the cooldown room after the Spanish Grand Prix, calling it unprofessional. The McLaren driver finished third at the Madring circuit and was seen sipping the drink before an official, citing F1's partnership with rival brand PepsiCo, asked him to put it down. Norris firmly responded: "I just did a race, so I'm allowed to drink what I would like. Thank you so much."

Why it matters:

The moment highlights the ongoing tension between driver individuality and sponsor obligations in F1. Norris's refusal to comply became a viral talking point, and Steiner's blunt reaction adds a veteran's perspective on professional standards.

The details:

• Steiner, speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, said: "If you are a professional, you don't do that. End of story... He shouldn't have done it. Is it a bad thing that he did it? Will somebody get hurt? No. But as a pro, you shouldn't do it."
• He acknowledged the commercial dimension: "It's all going by categories. They sell it and obviously if you don't pay, you cannot have it. And he had a Coke. It was not the smartest thing to do."
• Steiner also noted the irony that the controversy ended up benefiting Coca-Cola: "If they wouldn't have said anything, nobody would have even noticed... now Coca-Cola is laughing."
• Norris lost the lead during an ill-timed virtual safety car after starting from pole. He sits fourth in the standings with 186 points, 106 behind leader Kimi Antonelli.

What's next:

The debate over driver conduct off-track is unlikely to fade, especially with such sponsor conflicts. Norris will aim to close the points gap at the next round, while the viral moment remains a talking point.