Lando Norris has grow to be System 1’s latest world champion with third place within the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale, taking the title by two factors from Max Verstappen.
The British driver simply wanted a top-three end to take the title within the 2025 decider, and duly secured it on the Yas Marina observe with third place behind Verstappen and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Norris turns into the eleventh British F1 world champion and the thirty fifth driver in historical past to win the F1 world drivers’ title.
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Group, embraces Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Group, 1st place, to congratulate him on his race win
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photographs
Who’s Lando Norris?
Born within the port metropolis of Bristol, located between the mouth of the River Avon and River Severn, Norris is in his seventh season of racing in F1 for McLaren – with whom he shares a prolonged affiliation. The Woking outfit signed Norris to its younger driver squad at the beginning of 2017, forward of his sole season within the now-defunct FIA System 3 European Championship.
Opposite to well-liked perception, Norris was not – he says – named after Star Wars character Lando Calrissian. Half-Belgian because of his mom Cisca, Norris nonetheless races underneath the British flag and grew up within the Somerset city of Glastonbury, recognized for its yearly music competition held in close by Pilton. This allowed him to grow to be a day-boarder at Millfield, a non-public faculty recognized for its contribution to sports activities – and the place fellow racing driver Sam Chicken was additionally educated.Â
Initially not focused on racing, Norris began watching F1 along with his father Adam – a Bristol-based businessman – and began to develop a passion for it. After his victory in Miami, Norris paid tribute to his household for its help all through his racing profession – and to his grandmother over the staff radio.
“I spoke to my mum and my dad already, which is at all times good. Usually my dad involves the races, however not at present, so I am positive he is regretting that just a bit bit. My dad and mom have been so supportive. You realize, they’re those who’re with you from the beginning. They allowed all the things to occur. They’re those that obtained me into racing, supported me, and allowed me to get to System 1, attain my dream, and do what I’ve liked to do since I used to be a child.Â
“And I am very lucky for all the things that they’ve completed and the place they’ve allowed me to be in. You consider these moments, and due to this fact, after all, I wish to converse to my mum and pa, to start with, since you shared all these moments with them. And I simply say a giant thanks. And for my grandma, as a result of she’s not been so nicely recently. I noticed her final week, and I advised her that I used to be going to win a race. I did not say when. I simply mentioned I used to be going to win a race. And I did not suppose it could be coming this quickly. So I am simply very blissful that I used to be capable of do it as shortly as I did.”
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Group, 1st place, kisses the winners trophy
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs
Additionally uncovered to racing by way of the Gran Turismo online game sequence, Norris had the racing bug actually sinking its tooth into him when he was taken alongside along with his brother Ollie to observe the karting British Championships at Clay Pigeon, the karting course close to Dorchester the place Jenson Button first began to race.Â
“Me being me, I needed to have a go!,” Norris advised the System 2 web site in 2018. “Quickly after, I obtained a Bambino go-kart to drive round at house, and it began there…”
Norris picked up karting and, by 2013, he was competing on a world stage. There, he gained the Junior class of the CIK-FIA European Championship – the identical 12 months Max Verstappen gained the upper KF2 class – and went on to take victory within the CIK-FIA World Championship in 2014.
What’s Norris’ junior racing document?
Alongside his Karting World Championship efforts, Norris began competing within the Ginetta Juniors Championship, a sequence on the help bundle of the British Touring Automotive Championship. On the age of 14 Norris was now uncovered to a UK TV viewers and behind the wheel of a Ginetta G40 in a full circuit race for the primary time. Initially, Norris was solely supposed to participate within the second half of the season, however ended up competing within the full championship – the place he completed third behind future GT racers Jack Mitchell and James Kellett.
Norris moved to a different of the BTCC’s undercard occasions in 2015: MSA System – constructed from the ashes of the defunct British System Ford Championship because the FIA rolled out its System 4 class worldwide. This was the primary time Norris drove for Carlin, and he beat Ricky Collard and Colton Herta to the title to earn a transfer to the System Renault 2.0 championship.
Lando Norris
Photograph by: Daniel James Smith
His marketing campaign there was preceded by the New Zealand-based Toyota Racing Collection within the spring of 2016, which Norris gained convincingly over former karting rival Jehan Daruvala. Titles in System Renault 2.0’s Eurocup and NEC championships adopted, driving for Josef Kaufmann’s staff, previous to his reunion with Carlin for a stab on the 2017 System 3 European Championship.
Having marked himself as a star of the long run along with his sweep of championship wins, Norris was signed to the McLaren Younger Driver programme, which was one in every of new CEO Zak Brown’s first factors of enterprise after taking up at McLaren. Towards stern competitors from second-year driver Joel Eriksson and third-year racer Maximilian Guenther, Norris chalked up 9 victories to assert one other title with two races to spare – naturally successful the rookies’ championship within the course of.
Lando Norris, Carlin Dallara F317 – Volkswagen
Photograph by: FIA F3 / Suer
This elevated Norris into System 2, which had launched its new F2 2018 chassis. Carlin had left the sequence, then often known as GP2, on the finish of 2016 however had re-entered the championship a 12 months later, Norris being partnered by Sergio Sette Camara on the British squad. A one-off for Campos on the finish of 2017 gave Norris a taster of what to anticipate, and the Briton continued to ship within the early checks to mark himself out as a championship contender. Forward of his first full 12 months in F2, Norris competed within the Daytona 24 Hours alongside Fernando Alonso and Philip Hanson for United Autosports – the endurance racing staff owned by Brown.
Thought of as probably the greatest seasons of F2 because of its depth of expertise, 2018 was contested by Norris, who gained the Bahrain opener, ART’s George Russell, and Anglo-Thai driver Alex Albon – who transformed a race-by-race take care of DAMS right into a full season because of a powerful begin to the championship.
Regardless of opening strongly in securing the function race victory within the Bahrain season opener (his final victory in any class earlier than his Miami GP win) Norris didn’t attain the highest step once more in 2018 and retained his place within the championship hunt by way of consistency – though a puncture within the rain-affected Sochi spherical ended his championship hopes earlier than the sphere diverted to its Yas Marina finale. Russell claimed the crown when Albon was taken out in a start-line incident following a stall, a frequent function of the 2018 F2 automotive owing to a sequence of clutch points.Â
Lando Norris, Carlin
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs
Regardless, Norris impressed sufficiently in F2 and in a sequence of FP1 periods for McLaren to earn a step as much as F1 in 2019 – changing Stoffel Vandoorne on the staff.
How has Norris carried out in F1?
Norris was partnered by Carlos Sainz in 2019, the Spaniard signed to switch compatriot Fernando Alonso within the latter’s first retirement from F1. The 2 shortly shaped a agency friendship, and mixed to assist McLaren transfer again up the grid after a sequence of lean years with Honda powertrains and problematic vehicles.
In his first F1 race at Albert Park, Norris certified eighth and completed twelfth, and adopted that up along with his first factors by way of ending sixth in Bahrain. He amassed 49 factors in his maiden season as McLaren made nice strides ahead with its MCL34, virtually half of Sainz’s tally that 12 months. His second season proved extra felicitous regardless of the affect of COVID, and he claimed a maiden podium on the Crimson Bull Ring opener. This time, he completed simply eight factors behind Sainz, forward of the Madrid-born driver’s transfer to Ferrari in 2021.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1, and Lando Norris, McLaren, rejoice on the rostrum after the race
Photograph by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Photographs
Contracted at McLaren for a 3rd season, Norris was partnered with Daniel Ricciardo for 2021 – which was billed as his most critical take a look at in F1 given the Australian was nonetheless extremely rated on the time. Nonetheless, Norris outperformed the ex-Crimson Bull driver and claimed all however one of many staff’s 5 podium finishes – albeit the one that may have probably stung probably the most. In a zany Italian Grand Prix the place title adversaries Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton crashed on the chicane, Ricciardo assumed the lead – and Norris directed to play rear gunner towards the chasing Valtteri Bottas. McLaren thus secured its first 1-2 end because the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix.
Norris had his personal alternative to win on the subsequent race at Sochi, and took his first pole from Sainz. Though the Ferrari driver snatched the lead at the beginning, Norris reclaimed it on the thirteenth lap and managed the race nicely – preserving Lewis Hamilton at bay till rain began to fall. Hamilton took the chance to pit for intermediates whereas Norris, anticipating a brief bathe, elected to remain out. That decision proved to be hubristic, and he misplaced numerous time to Hamilton whereas struggling on the slicks – and finally aquaplaned off the circuit to throw away a shot at victory.
Lando Norris, McLaren, commiserates with himself after the race
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photographs
Though Norris dedicated his long-term future to McLaren, its first foray into the ground-effect rules mandated for 2022 was not fully profitable and he managed only one podium end all 12 months – on the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. 2023 began out much more disastrously, with simply 12 factors scored within the opening eight races, however Norris benefitted from a vastly improved automotive on the Austria spherical to ignite a season the place he claimed seven grand prix podiums. His first victory needed to wait as soon as extra when Oscar Piastri gained out within the Qatar dash.
That brings us to 2024, and Norris’ made a powerful begin to the season with three podiums – together with his Miami Grand Prix victory. After strolling away from China with second place, Norris had the undesirable document of holding probably the most podiums – 15 – and not using a win. This document now returns to Nick Heidfeld.
The breakthrough maiden win on the 2024 Miami GP kickstarted an out of doors title likelihood towards Verstappen, as wins within the Netherlands and Singapore drew the British driver in with a shout.
However the factors hole Verstappen held at all times saved him out of attain and the Dutch driver duly sealed his fourth world title on the Las Vegas GP, following a stellar cost to victory in Brazil the race earlier than which successfully ended Norris’ title aspirations.
In 2025, with the category of the sphere McLaren MCL39, Norris made the proper begin to the marketing campaign with victory within the Australian opener, and gave the impression to be in for a season-long tussle with team-mate Piastri for the drivers’ crown.
Whereas McLaren sealed the constructors’ championship with six rounds to spare, Verstappen reeled in each McLarens over the ultimate third of the marketing campaign, establishing a title showdown in Abu Dhabi.
However Norris held on in a dramatic Abu Dhabi decider, taking third place to seal his maiden F1 world title by two factors forward of Verstappen.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photograph by: Simon Galloway / LAT Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
How does Norris method racing in F1?
In chatting with the media, Norris has typically exhibited a self-deprecative and cautious method when discussing his possibilities. Even after good outcomes, it seems he’s a pure pessimist – and as an alternative attracts consideration to his personal weaknesses somewhat than choosing self-aggrandisement. Talking about this after his Miami win, Norris acknowledged that it is a supply of motivation.
“I’ve my occasions after I’m proud of what I will exit and do. I am simply a type of guys that I am not blissful after I know I’ve not completed the job I am able to doing,” he mentioned. And [this win] reveals what I am able to doing. I feel all 12 months I’ve completed an excellent job. And I’ve labored laborious and I’ve eradicated and removed numerous my weaknesses.
“I am nonetheless going to be that man. I do not suppose that is going to vary. That is what works for me. That is my mindset. Everybody has their very own manner of doing issues, their very own method, their very own manner that they discuss to themselves and consider: how can I method at present? How can I am going out and do the perfect job? For me, it is speaking down at myself and sort of placing myself down as a result of for me that is what works and I am high-quality with that.Â
“I do not want different individuals to be proud of it and for different individuals to agree with it. It is what’s greatest for me, and what works greatest is what’s made me who I’m and I feel that is my greatest manner of going ahead. So I will have my days when the glass is full and I might be blissful and I am happy with myself. Everybody’s going to have these days and everybody ought to have these days. However in an effort to make myself the perfect man, the perfect driver, I’ve my manner of doing issues and I follow that.”
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Group, 1st place, lifts the trophy in celebration on the rostrum
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photographs
What does Norris do outdoors of racing – and what’s subsequent in F1?
In 2020, Norris arrange Quadrant – an organization that focuses on “racing, gaming, clothes and content material” with a number of streamers, and has since acquired funding from YouTuber Will Lenney. A lot of the corporate’s involvement expands into Esports and the sale of clothes, however it should broaden into an athlete help programme.
He has additionally cultivated a following by way of streaming on Twitch, which he has additionally used for charitable endeavours – elevating cash for COVID response funds and psychological well being charity Thoughts. He additionally performs golf, enjoying in numerous Professional-Am tournaments – notably the Netflix Cup held forward of the Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023.
Norris has a long-term contract with McLaren, which spans till the top of the 2027 season. It’s recognized that he has held talks with Crimson Bull beforehand on multiple event, however has finally dedicated to McLaren following them.Â
McLaren has dedicated to Mercedes energy for the incoming powertrain regulatory overhaul in 2026, with a deal that extends to 2030.Â
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