Declan Rice Visits McLaren F1 Factory, Tests Simulator with Lando Norris
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice recently visited the McLaren F1 factory in Woking, where he had the opportunity to try the team’s simulator. He was joined by reigning world champion Lando Norris, marking a meeting between two of Britain’s top athletes. Rice has been capped 72 times by England and will play a pivotal role in the team’s upcoming World Cup campaign.
While Norris faces challenges in retaining his F1 title due to Mercedes’ strong performance at the start of the 2026 season, Rice is focused on securing his first Premier League winners’ medal with Arsenal.
Lando Norris Evaluates Declan Rice’s Simulator Performance
During his time in the simulator, Rice tackled the Silverstone circuit, home of the British Grand Prix, setting a best lap time of around one minute and 37 seconds after familiarizing himself with the track layout.
For reference, Max Verstappen’s pole position time during last year’s race stood at 1:24.892, though it should be noted that the 2026 F1 cars are somewhat slower.
“He got better,” Norris remarked in an interview with BBC Sport. “You’ve got to start somewhere. He didn’t know Silverstone as a track, so once he learnt it, he improved a lot. In the end, your final lap was pretty good.”
Rice responded, “1:37 wasn’t a bad lap.”
Norris joked, “If he’d stayed a couple more laps, he would have matched me!”
A laughing Rice retorted, “He was taking it so easy, honestly.”
Previously, Rice was part of the England squad that attended last year’s Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, where he had a chance to see the cars up close.
Lando Norris Offers Advice to Declan Rice for Premier League Title Race
Norris was also asked if he had any advice for Rice, given his experience as a world champion last season, where he faced intense pressure from Verstappen, finishing just two points ahead.
Norris endured six seasons in F1 before winning his first race with McLaren, which was still considered a midfield team when he began racing in 2019. Throughout this time, he has contributed to the team’s gradual return to prominence in the sport.
He believes the key to maintaining composure in critical moments is thorough preparation.
“I feel like you do have confidence in yourself and the team,” he stated. “I wouldn’t have said the same a year ago, but that’s one of the things I learned the most. Go out on the pitch, enjoy it. As long as you’ve done your preparation, you can go out on the pitch and chill.”