Lando Norris to Make his Virtual IndyCar Debut on Saturday

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing everyone indoors, several F1 drivers are relying on the virtual world for their racing fix. In the motor racing world, several racers are sticking to games centered around their series. However, there are occasions where some of them branch out to other series. McLaren driver Lando Norris is the latest example, as he prepares to race an IndyCar iRacing Challenge

As an enthusiastic sim racer, Lando immediately accepted an invitation to join the IndyCar iRacing challenge. On Saturday, the Briton partners McLaren’s IndyCar outfit, Arrow McLaren SP for the event.

The young British driver will take part in the penultimate round of IndyCar’s virtual competition. He will race at a familiar surface, namely the Circuit of the Americas. The COTA is the only circuit that F1 and IndyCar share across both schedules, along with some other major racing series.

Why did Lando Norris choose to participate in IndyCar?

Arrow McLaren SP regular, Patricio O’Ward called for Norris to join the series. Norris was up for the challenge and so he will appear in the upcoming round at the Texas road course. Needless to say, the official IndyCar social media accounts caught wind of the Mexican’s social media post. Hence, they extended an invite to Norris, who was only too happy to accept.

Speaking of Patricio O’Ward, he and teammate Oliver Askew will partner Norris in the AMSP team. Also joining them in a four-man effort is Canadian driver Robert Wickens. Back in 2018, Wickens became the victim of a violent accident, which left him severely injured. So, it is heart-warming to see that he is back in the driver’s seat, mostly.

The iRacing challenge has seen the majority of the grid filled by the current crop of IndyCar drivers, with guests at every round. These guests include NASCAR stars Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Jimmie Johnson. The trio took part in the last three rounds at Motegi, Michigan, and Barber Motorsports Park respectively.