Lando Norris hit back after being asked to put away a can of Coca-Cola in the cooldown room following the Spanish Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver was sitting alongside race winner Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen after finishing third at the Madring when cameras caught him drinking from the can.
An official then appeared to ask Norris to put the drink away. The exchange was not fully captured on camera, but Norris could be heard asking, “Am I getting told off?”
He then responded:
“I just did a race, so I’m allowed to drink what I would like. Thank you so much.”
Norris continued drinking from the can as the drivers prepared to head to the podium. The moment quickly spread across social media, with fans praising the McLaren driver’s response.
The reason for the request has not been officially explained. However, the incident comes against a backdrop of competing drinks partnerships. Coca-Cola is a McLaren partner, while PepsiCo has an official partnership with Formula 1 and holds pouring and product-supply rights at Grands Prix from 2026.
That makes the Coca-Cola can an unusual sight in an F1-controlled environment, although there is no official confirmation that the PepsiCo partnership was specifically behind the request.
For Norris, the drink also appears to be part of his normal post-race routine. He previously told GQ that he likes to treat himself to a cold Coke after a race, particularly when he is hot and sweaty.
The exchange therefore ended up becoming a story of its own after an otherwise frustrating afternoon for Norris, who had started the race from pole before losing the lead during a poorly timed Virtual Safety Car period and eventually finishing third.