I witnessed F1 champion Lando Norris defeat his McLaren boss in a kart race, and it was an eye-opening experience for me.

      McLaren

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      With over 30 years of following Formula 1, I have seen the advancement of the finest technological race cars and the fierce personalities who drive them. As a child, I observed strong, middle-aged men wrestle with race cars, fueled by intense passion and fearless determination. Now, as an adult, I watch lean young drivers operate high-performance machines every other weekend, striving for recognition, global fame, and substantial financial rewards. However, I recently bore witness to something unprecedented: an F1 world champion effortlessly hopping into a go-kart and driving it with such precision that it made me question whether anyone, including myself, truly appreciates just how talented today’s F1 drivers are.

      It’s clear that reaching F1 requires first mastering karting and excelling in various feeder series. Thus, seeing a current F1 driver performing exceptionally in a kart is hardly surprising. Yet, even with my background as a shifter kart driver and having observed numerous thrilling kart competitions—some featuring IndyCar and sports car drivers—I was unprepared for the remarkable display of driving prowess exhibited by McLaren’s Lando Norris just a few feet from me. Surprisingly, his team principal, Zak Brown, was also not far behind in performance.

      The Woking team enjoyed a standout year in the F1 World Championship, though it wasn't quite the flawless season experienced by Red Bull and Mercedes in previous years. Regardless, clinching the Constructors’ Championship with six races remaining is quite an accomplishment, resonating throughout the organization from F1 to IndyCar.

      McLaren's immensely skilled drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, have already had their share of confrontations this year. Despite some questionable decisions and results during the season, Norris emerged as the F1 world champion, while Piastri secured third place, leading them to occasionally seek an outlet for their competitive energy. One such occasion occurred earlier this summer, at the start of the mandatory F1 summer break, just days after the team’s impressive 1-2 finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

      The Setting

      I find myself on revered ground, an area every car enthusiast would instantly recognize. The crisp morning breeze, typical of the English countryside even during summer, is intensified by a helicopter flying overhead, arriving from Woking. Onboard are McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, Lando Norris, F1 commentator David Croft (known as “Crofty”), and several colleagues.

      The helicopter lands down the runway or, more accurately, along the back straight. If you haven't deduced it yet, I’m at Dunsfold Aerodrome, more popularly recognized as the Top Gear Test Track.

      I’m here to observe a challenge, which I initially dismissed as just another publicity stunt when first invited. However, as I delved deeper into the project, my curiosity grew. McLaren Racing sponsor eBay aimed to create a unique challenge for the papaya duo. Joining forces with Dewalt, they devised a go-kart competition that seemed like a crafted sponsor “activation” made for Instagram—a common occurrence for F1 drivers throughout a racing season. But as I would soon discover, this event was far from ordinary.

      The Equipment

      Beside me were two fully customized karts. I’m not referring to generic karts powered by Harbor Freight engines or electric models from Amazon. These were serious racing karts featuring Italian OTK chassis and CIK-FIA-approved bodywork similar to those used by future stars in races at Ocala, Florida, or South Garda, Italy.

      What stood out most was the bespoke construction of these chassis and their custom powertrains. Instead of a conventional fuel tank, there was a tool bag concealing batteries and wiring. Rather than a traditional TaG engine that revs to 16,000 rpm, there were two 54V Dewalt chainsaws (minus the saw blades) driving the rear axle, attached to a custom tray mimicking a rear wing. A 40-kW e-bike motor, engineered by Hazell Nutz—who has worked on various high-profile builds, including the latest Batmobile—powered this extraordinary contraption, enabling it to reach speeds exceeding 110 mph.

      All components for the karts were sourced from eBay because, as Brown stated during a camera interview, “You can buy anything on eBay; it’s like Christmas at my house every day.” Later, away from the cameras, he even confessed to ordering his deodorant on eBay. Nevertheless, every part from the LN-licensed chassis to the tires and even the bolts used in the construction were procured online, with Dewalt providing the power components.

      The Challenge

      The McLaren group was swiftly transported from the helicopter to a small building I had never known existed, despite having watched hundreds of Top Gear episodes. Known as the “Mc