Lando Norris has mirrored on his Autosport Awards recollections forward of turning into the inaugural Autosport Champion to honour his 2025 System 1 world title success.
The McLaren driver beat Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri to change into F1 world champion and he’s now the second Autosport BRDC Younger Driver winner to clinch the title.
Norris received the award that’s devoted to younger British drivers in 2016, and 1998 recipient Jenson Button was the primary to go on to change into F1 world champion when he clinched the 2009 crown with Brawn.
Now 10 years after Norris’ success, he returns to the Autosport Awards ceremony this night at London’s Roundhouse and he has mirrored on his recollections of the evening.
What’s your fondest reminiscence of Autosport Awards?
Lando Norris: I’d most likely say coming right here in 2016 and receiving the BRDC Younger Driver Award was fairly a giant second for me. I’d had a superb season that yr, profitable a few completely different collection’ and making my FIA System 3 debut, so to finish the yr by being nominated and receiving the award in entrance of so many individuals I seemed as much as on the time was fairly particular.
The check at Silverstone that got here with the nomination was actually enjoyable as nicely. Getting to leap from a System 2 automobile into one thing that drives utterly otherwise like a DTM Mercedes or a GT3 McLaren was mega.
Lando Norris, Autosport Awards
Picture by: LAT Pictures
Are you able to bear in mind what feelings you felt if you received the McLaren Autosport BRDC Younger Driver Award?
LN: It was fairly a very long time in the past now so I couldn’t inform you precisely what emotion I felt in that actual second, however receiving the award was one thing that I used to be very happy with.
In case you may communicate to the Lando Norris who attended the Awards the evening you received the Younger Driver Award, what would you say to him?
LN: Simply to take pleasure in each second. In racing the years can go by fast, particularly if you’re transferring up by means of the classes with the purpose to get to F1. It’s not simple to take time and realise how particular all these moments alongside the best way are if you’re at all times working in direction of the following purpose. It’s one thing I’ve gotten significantly better at as I’ve gotten older, however I do want I used to be capable of take pleasure in these moments within the journey a little bit bit extra after I was youthful.
Having had time to replicate in your F1 world title triumph, how did you course of the achievement of fulfilling a lifelong dream?
LN: It’s taken some time for it to completely sink in. Changing into a world champion in System 1 is a dream I labored in direction of since I used to be seven-years-old. It’s onerous to explain the way it feels for that to have truly come true 20 years later, however it was fairly unimaginable.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Picture by: Steven Tee / LAT Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
Now nearly a decade on from the Younger Driver Award, you might be being honoured as inaugural Autosport Champion. What does that imply to you?
LN: It’s an honour to be receiving the Autosport Champion award. Ten years in the past, I stood right here as a child with a dream of reaching System 1. To be again on the awards 10 years later, being recognised for turning into world champion is one thing I’m very happy with.
Do you could have a message you want to share along with your followers at Autosport Awards?
LN: Only a massive thanks. They’ve been alongside the journey with me and confirmed their assist each step of the best way. I hope they’ve been capable of take pleasure in these previous few months, and I’ll preserve doing the whole lot I can to present them causes to rejoice.
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