12–18 October 2026 | Cards, GT3 Racing & Life Beyond F1
The F1 calendar doesn’t have to be full of Grand Prix weekends for the drivers to stay busy. Some spend their free time exploring new hobbies, others find themselves back behind the wheel of a completely different race car, and some simply give fans a glimpse into their lives outside the paddock.
This week, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen provided two very different examples of what life beyond Formula 1 can look like.
Lando Norris: Forget the Race Car, Let’s Open Some Cards
Lando Norris spent part of the week doing something that probably wasn’t on most fans’ bingo cards: opening trading card packs on Twitch.
Between 15 and 17 October, the McLaren driver streamed several sessions, including openin packs and 5 Card giveaway. His streams attracted thousands of viewers, with one session reaching a reported peak of almost 26,000 concurrent viewers.
And no, this wasn’t another racing simulator session.
Trading card games, commonly known as TCGs, revolve around collecting cards, searching for rare finds and, depending on the game, building decks to compete against other players. For collectors, the excitement often lies in the anticipation of what might be hiding inside the next pack.
Lando’s streams offered something different from the usual F1 content. No team radio, no qualifying pressure and no post-race interviews. Just cards, a livestream and fans watching along.
The giveaway added another reason for viewers to tune in, turning a personal hobby into an opportunity to interact with his community.
It’s also a reminder that modern F1 drivers can build their own online identities beyond the sport. Norris has long been associated with gaming and streaming, but this was a slightly different kind of content from the racing and gaming sessions many fans might expect.
Apparently, not every competition needs a chequered flag.
Max Verstappen: Trading Cards Aren’t Quite His Kind of Downtime
While Lando was opening packs, Max Verstappen was doing what he arguably enjoys most: racing.
On 17 October, Verstappen competed in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup finale at Portimão, Portugal. He shared a Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO with Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat, representing Verstappen Racing.
For anyone unfamiliar with GT3 racing, the format is different from a standard Formula 1 Grand Prix. Drivers share a car, take turns behind the wheel and have to work together through pit stops, changing traffic and the demands of endurance racing.
The team qualified 15th, but its race became a proper fight back through the field.
After a penalty during Lulham’s stint, the No. 3 Mercedes dropped down the order. Verstappen then took over and began working his way forward, gaining 15 positions before the team finished ninth overall.
It wasn’t the podium the team had hoped for, but it was an impressive recovery after a difficult race.
The overall victory went to another Mercedes-AMG GT3, the No. 17 GetSpeed entry driven by Ralf Aron, Maximilian Götz and Fabian Schiller.
Verstappen’s appearance also highlighted something that can sometimes get lost in the F1 bubble: he isn’t interested in racing only because it’s his job. GT3 machinery offers a different challenge, and his own racing project gives him another way to pursue that interest outside his regular championship.
And for fans, seeing a Formula 1 world champion compete in a different category is a reminder of just how broad the world of motorsport really is.
A Familiar Face in a Different Paddock: Valentino Rossi
Verstappen wasn’t the only famous name at Portimão.
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi also competed in the GT World Challenge Europe finale, bringing together two different corners of motorsport at the same event.
Rossi’s transition from motorcycle racing to GT cars has made him a familiar figure in endurance and sports-car racing. His presence alongside Verstappen made the weekend particularly interesting for fans who follow more than one racing series.
Formula 1 and MotoGP may look very different, but both demand extraordinary precision, confidence and an ability to perform under pressure.
Seeing names associated with different championships share the same event is a good reminder that motorsport doesn’t stop at the boundaries of one series.
Beyond the Headlines: The Drivers Are More Than Their Results
What makes this week interesting isn’t simply that Lando streamed and Max raced.
It’s how different their downtime looks.
For Norris, a hobby becomes a way to connect with fans without the usual media obligations. For Verstappen, time away from the F1 calendar becomes an opportunity to compete in another championship and explore a different racing discipline.
Neither story needs a Grand Prix victory to be worth telling.
These are the moments that make following drivers beyond Sunday worthwhile. You get to see what interests them, what they choose to do when their main championship takes a break, and how much personality exists outside the familiar world of qualifying sessions and race-day interviews.
One driver is chasing rare cards. Another is chasing GT3 rivals through the Portuguese night.
Different hobbies. Same competitive world.
And that’s exactly why the paddock never really switches off.
PADDOCK FILES
The people behind the helmets. The stories beyond the grid.