Lando Norris has said he will not be attending King’s Day in Amsterdam this year as he is concentrating on his bid to become Formula 1 world champion.
Norris was pictured partying on a barge in the Dutch capital with DJ Martin Garrix last year and sustained a cut to his nose during the national holiday celebrations which celebrate the birth of King Willem-Alexander.
During the festivities, concerts and special events are held in public spaces, including Amsterdam’s famous canals. People commonly wear orange honour of the House of Orange-Nassau, which is the reigning house of the Netherlands.
This year’s event will be held on Saturday, April 26 — days before Norris would be expected to arrive in the United States for the Miami Grand Prix.
Norris has struggled for form of late. He crashed in qualifying for the weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and, despite recovering from 10th to finish fourth, subsequently fell behind his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in the standings.
Asked if he would be present at King’s Day this weekend, Norris told Viaplay: “No. Sadly not. I wish [I could go] because it was one of the best days of my life… I won Miami [after King’s Day last year].
“So, no … I had a great week with Martin and then the whole gang out in Amsterdam last year. But I’m fighting for a championship. I can’t afford to do these things. I’ll go back home and train.
“This race [in Saudi Arabia] was tough, it was physically demanding… There’s much more to life than to drink. I’ve not drunk all year and I’m proud of that. [I’ll] keep working hard, so no fun for me.”
Source: espn.com