Like Raikkonen or Kubica, a future in the WRC for Lando Norris?

La Formula 1 and WRC are, due to their specificities, diametrically opposed. However, they have in common the fact that they are the pinnacle of their field, the summit of the pyramid of car and rally global. Thus, a pilot being, before being a tool sharpened to a single category, a lover of extreme sensations, it is not rare that some indulge in commuting between the two disciplines.

According to British journalist Peter Windsor, presenter on Cameron CC YouTube channel, Lando Norris would have taken the plunge and tested a rally car. I know Lando is a serious rally fan, explained the journalist. I hope I'm not giving away too many secrets, but I know he's driven WRC cars before and he's incredibly good."

If the pilot McLaren actually spent his free time driving cars on trails, he wouldn't be the first to cut his teeth in both categories.

From Formula 1 to rallying

Fiat 131 Abarth during the Sanremo Rally in 1981 ©DPPI

Argentinian driver Carlos Reutemann – winner of 12 Grands Prix and author of 45 podiums in Formula 1 – tried his hand at rallying on the tracks of his native country when he wasn't busy with single-seaters. His adventure was brief, but memorable, as the 1 F1981 world vice-champion participated in two rounds of the World Rally Championship and achieved two podiums. In 1980, he achieved a third place at the wheel of a Fiat 131 Abarth, a feat he repeated five years later with a Peugeot 205

The second F1 driver to attempt rallying was Kimi Räikkönen. In 2010 and 2011, the Finn put his Formula 1 career on hold to compete in the WRC. He drove a Citroën and, without achieving a podium finish, put in solid performances. Despite this, he chose to return to his first love: Formula 1, joining the Lotus team in 2012.

Another prominent figure in both disciplines: Robert Kubica. It's hard to say whether he's more of a Formula 1 driver—where he has one victory—or a rally driver, given his passion and regularity in the sport. His career was, however, cut short by a terrible accident during the Ronde di Andora rally in Italy, which cost him much of the use of his right hand. The Pole still continues to race today, this time in endurance racing, with the AF Corse team. WEC, with whom he won in Texas in 2024.

Valtteri Bottas, former pilot Mercedes, has also attracted interest for his promising rallying attempts. However, he has never officially participated in a round of the world championship. With Lando Norris now in contention to win his first Formula 1 title, perhaps he will be the next to commute between the circuits and the special stages.

From Rally to Formula 1

Sébastien Loeb and the RB4 in Spain. 2008. © GILLES LEVENT / DPPI

Several big names in rallying had the opportunity to test a Formula 1: Kalle Rovanperä, Sébastien Ogier, Sébastien Loeb, Petter Solberg, Colin McRae and Tommi Mäkinen. They all share one thing in common: they were crowned WRC world champions.

These tests are most often orchestrated by Red Bull, which likes to run rally drivers in its single-seaters. This is not an approach geared towards a real commitment to F1, but rather a communication operation, intended to create an event and build bridges between its different athletes.

Of all those who have taken the wheel of a single-seater, only Sébastien Loeb actually considered entering the premier class of motorsport. In 2008, during private tests at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, ​​the Frenchman made an impression at the wheel of a Red Bull RB4. He completed 82 laps and set the eighth fastest time out of the 17 drivers present that day. Later, Loeb revealed that a project for a double program—WRC and Formula 1—had been considered with Red Bull.

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