Daniel Ricciardo Whacks Lando Norris in the Face With a Space Hopper

The Australian driver said, “You know when you do something and you realize you probably shouldn’t have done it? It was too late.”

You know the TikTok audio that goes “do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on inside their head?” Formula One fans may be reminded of it when they watch a viral clip of a space hopper race between Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo that ended in fits of laughter. 

The two McLaren drivers participated in an unorthodox race on the main straight Thursday ahead of the weekend’s British Grand Prix that soon descended into chaos. 

From the get-go, it was a hot mess when Norris managed to slip and almost fall backwards before the race had begun. The two settled down, and the mad dash to the finish line ensued. But, they didn’t make it far before it all went haywire. 

Lando Norris on a space hopper bouncing into Daniel Ricciardo :: IMAGO / Every Second Media

Norris attempted to sabotage Ricciardo, but the Australian pulled away into an early lead—one he was determined to keep. As Ricciardo looked over his shoulder, he saw Norris running down the track with his space hopper in front of him. 

As the 22-year-old was about to pass his teammate, Ricciardo swung his own space hopper into Norris’s face at the last second. Laughter erupted as the Australian ran to check on his teammate, and when David Croft asked if he was okay, Norris said with a smile, “I can’t see,” before hiding his face in his hands again. 

A replay sent the pair into a fit of laughter again, and Ricciardo said, “You know when you do something and you realize you probably shouldn’t have done it? It was too late.”

Social media had a field day with the clip, and even McLaren joined in on the fun, sharing the video from Sky Sports in a TikTok of their own with the “oh no” audio. Ricciardo put all questions on whether Norris was injured to rest with a simple tweet, “He’s ok.” 

Lewis Hamilton replied, “Is he actually?” Just over ten minutes later, Norris tweeted his own commentary. 

“He’s okay” pic.twitter.com/Y3JTaCrY2S

— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) June 30, 2022

The next day was Ricciardo’s 33rd birthday, and Norris tweeted, “ngl, I thought about hitting him in the face with a space hopper. happy bday @danielricciardo” with a GIF of the teammates hugging. 

It’s safe to say Norris is just fine. As Formula One battled a wet qualifying session, he ended Saturday with P6 to start his home Grand Prix.