McLaren’s Lando Norris was not feeling the effects of any of the hardship he has been experiencing this week off the track, evidenced by a superb qualifying performance at the Dutch Grand Prix.
The Briton split up this week with Portuguese model, Luisinha Barosa Oliveira, whom he had been dating for the best part of a year.
The pair had faced months of scrutiny from intrusive fans on social media and, after several conversations about it, they mutually decided it was best to continue as friends at this juncture.
Norris put out a statement on Instagram asking that everyone respect his and Oliveira’s decision as well as their privacy.
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“Hello everyone. After time and consideration, Luisa and myself have mutually decided to end our relationship but remain good friends,” he said.
“I wish her the world and have so much respect for her and all she does as an amazing and strong woman with nothing but kindness.
“Please respect our decision and respect our – but more importantly and especially her privacy moving forward. Thank you for your endless support.”
It got tougher for Norris when he was reported, by a source, whose validity is questionable, to have invited a woman for a McDonald’s date at his hotel.
That model is now thought to be Instagrammer Randi Hartman.
Away from that though, Norris put in a splendid display out on track during qualifying at Zandvoort, out-qualifying team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, who continues to have a rough time of it, for the 13th time this season.
With the Australian starting 17th on the grid, Norris made it up to seventh in front of the orange grandstands, which he amusingly associates with his papaya McLaren car.
The six-time podium finisher ended up ahead of both Alpines of Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso – neither of whom made it into Q3 – so he was pleasantly surprised.
“It was alright,” Norris told Lawrence Barretto after the session.
“After the first lap in Q1, I wasn’t very hopeful, I was a long way off the Alpines and so on, and it felt like quite a good lap, so I was a bit like, ‘oh no.’
“So, I had to push it a bit more and try and unlock a bit more from the car which I think I did, and took some good steps forward.
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“And yeah, actually by surprise, ended up P7 ahead of guys we were expecting definitely to be a bit quicker than us today.
“So, I was happy with my job, I think [I made] little mistakes here and there, even on my final lap, but nothing that would have changed my position, so good day for us.”