Margarida Corceiro, girlfriend of McLaren Formula One driver Lando Norris, has candidly revealed that she doesn’t follow the sport and only attends races to support her partner. This season, Norris has been in outstanding form, currently leading the World Drivers' Championship with just three races left.
After finishing second to Max Verstappen last year, Norris now holds a 24-point lead over his teammate Oscar Piastri, yet trails the four-time world champion by 49 points. Meanwhile, McLaren is positioned as a strong contender to win the World Constructors' Championship, having amassed 756 points so far.
Norris is on the brink of becoming the 11th British driver to win the F1 world title—the last British champion being Jenson Button in 2009, with Lewis Hamilton having secured seven championships since 2008.
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Despite the historic significance of Norris’ campaign, Corceiro remains detached from the technicalities of Formula One. The Portuguese model, who has been a familiar face throughout the paddock this season, told Jornal de Notícias (as reported by The Sun) that she knows “nothing about cars” and doesn’t feel pressure to play any public role beyond supporting Norris.
“I have nothing to do with it," she said. “I’m good for nothing other than to support someone.” Corceiro, who has over 2.2 million Instagram followers, also mentioned she is unfazed by media attention and public scrutiny.
“I don’t call the cameras. I have nothing to do with it; it’s not my job or my area. If they record me, they record me. If they don’t, it doesn’t matter,” she explained. “There are cameras everywhere, but sometimes I don’t even realise if I’m being recorded.”
Throughout the season, Corceiro has been seen alongside other F1 partners such as Charles Leclerc’s fiancée Alexandra Saint Mleux, Alex Albon’s girlfriend Lily He, and Max Verstappen’s partner Kelly Piquet.
This focus on drivers' partners has drawn criticism from within the F1 community. Williams driver Carlos Sainz voiced his frustration with media coverage prioritizing celebrities over on-track action. He remarked, “I think you have to show more respect for the competition on the track. There were several overtaking moves in Singapore that weren’t shown.”
Reacting to the criticism, broadcasters have since adjusted their coverage to focus more on racing action, with Formula One issuing a statement underscoring their commitment to delivering the best possible race images while responsibly capturing important moments involving guests and surroundings without compromising the core on-track action.