Guenther Steiner Criticizes Lando Norris Over Coca-Cola Cooldown Room Incident at Spanish Grand Prix
Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner has labeled Lando Norris’s decision to drink a Coca-Cola in the post-race cooldown room as unprofessional, following the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The incident occurred after Norris finished third at the Madring circuit, sparking debate across the paddock and social media.
Norris Defends Right to Choose His Drink
With rival beverage company PepsiCo holding an official partnership with Formula 1, a series official reportedly asked the McLaren driver to put the Coca-Cola down. Norris firmly pushed back, stating:
“I just did a race, so I’m allowed to drink what I would like. Thank you so much.”
The exchange quickly went viral, with many fans praising Norris for standing his ground. However, Steiner offered a sharply different perspective during an appearance on The Red Flags Podcast.
Steiner: “If You Are a Professional, You Don’t Do That”
The former team chief argued that Norris should have adhered to the sport’s commercial protocols, regardless of personal preference.
“If you are a professional, you don’t do that. End of story,” the former team chief said. “You know what you can do and what you cannot do. You’re well trained. 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. But he has done it. And you know what? I couldn’t give a s***.”
Commercial Reality Behind the Controversy
When asked if the issue stemmed directly from PepsiCo’s F1 partnership, Steiner explained the categorical nature of sponsorship rights.
“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 added that the backlash ultimately benefited the non-sponsor brand.
“But as I said, I don’t care because now, for Coca-Cola, it worked out pretty good. It was pretty good for [Coca-Cola]. If they wouldn’t have said anything, nobody would have even noticed, but because it was so bumped up now it’s a thing, and now Coca-Cola is laughing.”
Race Context and Championship Standings
Norris started the Spanish Grand Prix from pole position but dropped to third after an ill-timed virtual safety car period cost him the lead. He currently sits fourth in the 2025 drivers’ championship with 186 points, trailing leader Kimi Antonelli by 106 points.
