Lando Norris ‘sleeps just eight hours across four days’ as fans urge him to skip Monaco GP

F1 preview: A lap of the Monaco Grand Prix

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Lando Norris has slept for a total of just eight hours across the last four days as he continues to struggle with a troublesome bout of tonsillitis ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, according to reports. The McLaren star managed to secure an impressive points-paying finish in Spain at the last time of asking but was clearly uncomfortable over the course of the event in Barcelona and his condition does not seem to have improved in the days since.

Norris was forced to skip his usual post-race media duties at the Spanish Grand Prix in order to undergo medical checks and still appears to be struggling in Monaco ahead of F1’s showpiece event in the principality. He told reporters in the paddock on Thursday morning that he had only managed to sleep for a combined total of eight hours since crossing the finish line in Barcelona last weekend, according to journalist Phillip Duncan. Norris also skipped his media duties on Friday ahead of the first practice session in Monaco.

It is claimed that Norris is still expecting to race in Monaco in spite of his poor physical condition and lack of sleep over the last few days. A number of fans on Twitter have urged the 22-year-old to pull out of this weekend’s event, though, in order to protect his health and steer clear of any unwanted consequences for himself or any of the other drivers on track.

“If this is true, he shouldn’t be racing this weekend,” argued @LastLapLucy. “He’s clearly still unwell and sleep deprivation can be very dangerous when you’re driving, especially in a racecar.”

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@CrystalBklyn added: “When do you call in a reserve driver? In such health, it’s too much to expect him to perform safely, both for himself and amongst other drivers.”

It remains to be seen whether Norris will eventually be withdrawn from this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix or if he will be deemed fit to race before the five red lights go out on Sunday. He admitted on Sunday that he struggled to perform over the course of the Spanish Grand Prix despite registering a commendable eighth-placed finish after qualifying outside the top 10.

“I was feeling really unwell before the race as I’m suffering with tonsillitis, and that, in combination with the high temperatures, made this one of the hardest races I’ve ever done,” explained Norris.

“I’ve been a bit on the back foot this weekend as most of my energy has been spent fighting off this illness. I’ve had to miss a lot of engineering sessions, which has compromised my weekend.

“I definitely wasn’t as prepared for the Grand Prix as I could have been. With that in mind, I’m really pleased to have come out of the race with decent points for the team.”

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