Lando Norris at Monday night's Las Vegas Raiders NFL game
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F1 Stars Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr. Steal the Show at Monday Night Football in Las Vegas

Posted by AR1 staff

With the 2025 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend just days away (November 21–23), two of the paddock’s fan favorites stole the spotlight on Monday night (November 17, 2025) at Allegiant Stadium.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

McLaren’s championship leader Lando Norris (pictured) and Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr. both turned up for the NFL clash between the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys—a primetime game that ended with the Cowboys dominating 33-16.

Norris, holding a commanding 24-point lead in the drivers’ standings over teammate Oscar Piastri, was decked out in full Raiders gear (black cap, jacket, the works) and walked the field pre-game like a local. The NFL’s official account captured the moment perfectly:

The post racked up thousands of likes and replies overnight, with fans mixing F1 hype and NFL banter—”That’s OUR Championship leader!” from McLaren supporters, while Cowboys fans playfully trolled his team choice.

Not to be outdone, cameras later spotted Carlos Sainz in Raiders owner Mark Davis’ luxury suite, chilling with his girlfriend Rebecca Donaldson. ESPN’s broadcast put him on the jumbotron, and the clips spread like wildfire:

Fan accounts quickly shared more angles of Sainz enjoying the action (and the Cowboys’ victory):

The “Carlando” reunion vibes (from their old McLaren days) had social media buzzing, with posts joking about the bromance crossing sports: “Sainz in the box, Lando on the field—Vegas week is already undefeated.” Some even tied it to Sainz’s known connection with Raiders part-owner Tom Brady.

This crossover is peak Las Vegas GP energy—the Strip Circuit’s glitz always draws celebs, and with Norris gunning for his first title and Sainz building at Williams, the NFL detour was the perfect hype-builder before practice kicks off Friday. If the neon lights weren’t bright enough already, these two just turned them up!