Lando Norris measures his year in departures; airports, hotel rooms, paddocks, and transfer vans form the invisible architecture of his life. “It hasn’t changed a huge amount to be honest,” Norris tells Surface of life on the road after winning the 2025 global championship. “You still spend most of your time in airports and hotels and moving on to the next place pretty quickly.”
“Being in a new city every week doesn’t feel as strange as it used to,” he says of the repetition, which has sharpened his relationship to design. Norris uses TUMI as the connective tissue that holds his travel together. He’s a global ambassador for the brand, which also has a partnership with the McLaren F1 team. “Everything needs to work well without me thinking about it,” he says. “My TUMI Alpha pieces do that perfectly. Everything’s got its place, and it holds up even when it’s getting knocked around a lot.”
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“Sounds simple,” he adds, “but when you’re traveling every week, having something that does its job properly makes a big difference.” For the champion, continents collapse into weekends. “Winning the championship was massive,” he says, “but the traveling side of it will be the same.”
To stay grounded inside that constant motion, Norris relies on routine. “When you’re moving that much, routines are what keep you on track.” Training anchors his days, even when he is far from home. “It gives the day some structure and clears my head.” Emotional continuity matters just as much. “I make a point to stay connected to the same people, no matter where I am. Calls with family and friends help everything feel more normal.”
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This year’s championship was never certain. “I don’t think there was one exact second where it suddenly clicked,” he says. The race demands total presence. Even crossing the line does not create immediate clarity. “It’s more something you realize gradually, once things slow down and you actually get a moment to take it in.” Only then does it land. “Okay, this is something I’m going to remember forever.”
Norris approaches the new tracks and conditions with openness rather than superstition. “Every weekend is different, so I try to show up knowing things will change and just be ready for that.” Still, small objects travel with him to create familiarity. “Bracelets and bits fans have given me over the years,” he says. “They come with me pretty much everywhere.”
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The TUMI McLaren pieces resonate because they reflect F1’s internal logic and Norris’ way of thinking. “You can tell they’re built with the same mindset as Formula One,” he says. “Everything feels crafted with intention.” He calls the details to attention. “The carbon-fiber touches, the colors come through in a really clean way.”
One piece in particular has become inseparable from his movement. “My Alpha Bravo Brief Pack literally comes everywhere with me,” Norris says. “It’s got a place for everything and keeps me organized. I don’t want to be thinking about my bag when I’m traveling. If it works, keeps up, and does its job properly, that’s what matters to me.”
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When the season finally loosens its grip, Norris slows everywhere. “I like to switch off, hang out with my family, chill with mates, play a bit of golf, and actually slow down.” Finland has become an off-season ritual for its snow, cold, and darkness—the skiing and campfires. “Completely different from the places I go during the season,” he says. “That kind of travel is how I decompress and switch off without even trying to.”
Even within the season, some places resist the in-and-out rhythm. Mexico stood out because he stayed long enough to feel it. “I spent some extra time out there with my friends and had a really good time.” Norris found reprieve in golf, food, warmth, and laughter. “It felt very different from the usual race routine.” The city revealed itself beyond the circuit.
For someone whose life is engineered around speed, stillness is not about stopping. It is about reducing friction. As Norris puts it, “Everything moves so fast during the season that small things can create friction. Calm comes from things feeling easy. Being organized, knowing where everything is, and not having to think about the basics.”
