Racing Bulls reprimands crew member after “thumbs-down” caught on Norris’ São Paulo podium
Amid the confetti and boos at Interlagos, a small gesture stole more attention than it deserved. A Racing Bulls crew member was filmed giving a thumbs-down as Lando Norris stepped up to collect the São Paulo Grand Prix winner’s trophy. The clip moved fast online; the team moved faster to shut it down.
“We’re aware of the video from the weekend’s podium,” the team posted on X, adding that the moment “doesn’t reflect our team’s values or the spirit of VCARB.” Racing Bulls says the matter has been handled internally, and stressed it believes in “celebrating great racing and showing respect to every driver, team, and fan both on and off the track.”
The footage, shot from the grandstand, shows a person in Racing Bulls gear in parc fermé turning toward the crowd and putting a thumb down while holding a phone. After a couple of seconds, a colleague nudged the arm down and the moment passed. The internet did the rest.
It’s not unusual for Interlagos to serve up a bit of needle — the place lives on emotion — but teams typically keep a low profile during ceremonies and leave the theater to the fans. Racing Bulls’ swift response underscores how much optics matter when every square meter of a modern F1 weekend is on camera.
The FIA, for its part, has been leaning into a wider push for better conduct across the sport’s digital fringes. President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has repeatedly championed the United Against Online Abuse initiative, urging stakeholders to help keep discourse within the lines. This incident wasn’t online abuse, but it landed in the same conversation: keep it competitive, keep it respectful.
The irony is that, on track, Racing Bulls had one of its tidiest Sundays of the season. Liam Lawson delivered a rugged drive, stretching a 52-lap stint on a single set to bank seventh place. Isack Hadjar followed him home in eighth, a double-score that mattered in the bigger picture. Racing Bulls heads into the final three rounds sitting sixth in the Constructors’ standings, 10 points clear of Aston Martin, per the 2025 standings.
It’s been that kind of year for the Faenza squad: flashes of sharp execution and clever strategy, plus the inevitable growing pains of life in the midfield crossfire. The São Paulo result was the bit they’ll want to bottle; the podium clip, the bit they’ll want forgotten by Abu Dhabi.
Still, paddock politics don’t tend to hang around long when the next practice session rolls around. Norris left Brazil with the silverware. Racing Bulls left with points — and a public reminder that in 2025’s hyper-wired F1, even a throwaway gesture can become the story if you give it half a second.
The team will hope the lasting image from Interlagos is Lawson’s tire whispering and Hadjar’s measured pace, not a rogue thumb in the wrong direction.
