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McLaren F1's Norris reacts to VR46 Moto3 rider's podium gaffe

McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris has reacted to VR46 Moto3 rider Celestino Vietti cutting his hand attempting to copy his champagne bottle smash podium celebration at Jerez last weekend

Valentino Rossi protege Vietti finished third in last weekend's Andalusian round of the 2020 Moto3 World Championship, and celebrated on the podium by trying to slam his prosecco bottle on the ground to cause an explosion.

However, Vietti broke the top of the bottle in his attempt and sliced his hand open, which required stitches.

Commenting on it last Sunday after also finishing third in the MotoGP race, nine-time grand prix world champion Rossi said: "Celestino had an injury on the podium because he broke the bottle and he had stitches in his hand.

"He make like this [gestures hitting bottle off the ground] with the champagne for it to explode and broke the bottle and he had a cut in the hand.

"[It needed] I don't know, five or six stitch points."

The celebration is one Norris has used throughout his racing career, the McLaren driver says he's never had a bottle smash before and wished Vietti a speedy recovery.

"He made a bit of a mess of it," when Autosport asked Norris about it.

"The only thing I saw was that they have prosecco bottles [in MotoGP] so I don't know if that made a difference in it.

"I don't know [if the pressure on the bottle caused it to smash], that's the only thing I can blame it on.

"I have never broken a bottle in all the times I've done it and I've done some fairly aggressive ones and others who have done aggressive ones by jumping from podium to step below and then smashing the bottle - but not actually smashing it itself.

"The only thing I can say is practice more maybe with champagne, but apart from that he got unlucky and I wish him the best in his recovery."

Vietti's podium woe was followed by both VR46 riders in the Moto2 race, Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi, tangling with each other as they tried to shake hands on the cooldown lap.

Both riders came away from the embarrassing incident unharmed and made it to the second and third steps of the podium.

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