Lando Norris (; born 13 November 1999) is a British
racing driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...
who competes in
Formula One
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
for
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...
. Norris was runner-up in the
Formula One World Drivers' Championship
Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of Open wheel car, open-wheeled auto racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name refers to a set of r ...
in with McLaren, and has won
Grands Prix across seven seasons.
Born in
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
and raised in
Glastonbury
Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...
to an English father and Belgian mother, Norris began competitive
kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on kart circuit, scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on fu ...
aged seven. After a successful karting career—culminating in his victory at the
direct-drive
A direct-drive mechanism is a mechanism design where the force or torque from a prime mover is transmitted directly to the effector device (such as the drive wheels of a vehicle) without involving any intermediate couplings such as a gear train o ...
Karting World Championship
The FIA Karting World Championship, officially known as the Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a kart racing competition organised by the CIK-FIA. Hosted annually since 1964, it is widely regarded as the ...
in 2014—Norris graduated to
junior formulae
Formula racing, also known as open-wheel racing in North America, is any of several forms of open-wheeled single-seater motorsport. A "formula", first devised by FIA for its post–World War II single-seater races, is a set of regulations for ...
. He won his first title at the
2015 MSA Formula Championship
The 2015 MSA Formula Championship was a multi-event, Formula 4 open-wheel single seater motor racing championship held across England and Scotland. The championship featured a mix of professional motor racing teams and privately funded drivers, ...
with
Carlin. He then won the
Toyota Racing Series
The Formula Regional Oceania Championship is New Zealand's premier formula racing category. The series includes races for every major trophy in New Zealand circuit racing including the New Zealand Motor Cup and the Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy. ...
,
Formula Renault Eurocup and
Formula Renault NEC
The Formula Renault Northern European Cup (formerly Formula Renault 2.0 NEC) was a Formula Renault 2.0 championship originally held in Northern Europe (Germany, Netherlands and Belgium), but has expanded over the years to the whole of Europe. Th ...
in 2016, receiving the
Autosport BRDC Award that year. Norris won the
FIA Formula 3 European Championship
The FIA Formula 3 European Championship was a European Formula Three (F3) auto racing competition, organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). After one season of the FIA Formula 3 International Trophy, the FIA revived t ...
in , and finished runner-up to
George Russell in the
FIA Formula 2 Championship
The FIA Formula 2 Championship (F2) is a second-tier single-seater championship organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Held on road racing, racing circuits, the championship was introduced in 2017, following the re ...
in , both with Carlin.
A member of the
McLaren Young Driver Programme since 2017, Norris joined
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...
in to partner
Carlos Sainz Jr., making his Formula One debut at the . He achieved his maiden podium finish and
fastest lap
In motorsports, the fastest lap is the quickest lap run during a race. In some racing series, like NASCAR, the fastest lap award championship points for a driver or team. In Formula One and MotoGP no point is awarded for the fastest lap.
Formula O ...
at the season-opening in , before achieving his maiden
pole position
In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the ra ...
at the in , amongst several further podiums. Following another podium at the in , Norris took seven podiums across his campaign. In , Norris took his maiden career
win at the , repeating this feat in the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
,
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, and
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
as he finished runner-up to
Max Verstappen
Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...
in the
World Drivers' Championship
Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which a ...
.
As of the , Norris has achieved race wins, pole positions, fastest laps, and podiums in Formula One. Norris is contracted to remain at McLaren until at least the end of the 2027 season.
Early and personal life
Lando Norris was born on 13 November 1999 in
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
, England. His father Adam Norris is a retired pensions manager, and is one of Bristol's wealthiest people as well as the 501st-richest person in the country (as of 2018). His mother Cisca () is from the
Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
region of
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. He has three siblings - two younger sisters, and an older brother Oliver, who was also involved in
karting
Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on full-size motor ...
on a competitive level until 2014.
Norris holds both British and Belgian citizenship,
and speaks a small amount of
Flemish Dutch
Flemish ( ) is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to the region known as Flanders in northern Belgium; it is spoke ...
.
In his early childhood, Norris tried horse riding, then quad biking and motorcycle riding before moving into karting after his father took him to watch the national British Karting Championships at age seven. Norris was educated at
Millfield School
Millfield is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18) located in Street, Somerset, England. It was founded in 1935.
Millfield is a registered charity and is the largest co-educational boarding s ...
in
Street, Somerset
Street is a large village and civil parish in Somerset, England, with a population of 12,709 in 2021. On a dry spot in the Somerset Levels, at the end of the Polden Hills, it is southwest of Glastonbury. There is evidence of Roman occupation. ...
. He left school without taking his
GCSEs
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...
, but studied physics and mathematics with a full-time personal tutor. His family later moved to
Glastonbury
Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...
to allow him to become a
day pupil
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...
,
and to pursue his racing career, citing
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi ( ; ; born 16 February 1979) is an Italian racing driver, former professional motorcycle road racer and nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. Nicknamed "the Doctor", Rossi is widely considered one of the greate ...
as an inspiration.
At the start of his F1 career he initially resided in
Woking
Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in north-west Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'', and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settleme ...
near the
McLaren Technology Centre
The McLaren Technology Centre is the headquarters of the McLaren Group and its subsidiaries, located on a site in Woking, Surrey, England. The complex consists of two buildings: the original McLaren Technology Centre, which acts as the main he ...
, but later moved to
Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
in 2022, for financial reasons.
Between August 2021 and September 2022, Norris dated Portuguese model Luísa Oliveira. Norris has stated that he and Oliveira were subjected to abuse and death threats from online trolls.
Junior racing career
Karting
Norris started his racing career at the age of seven when he claimed
pole position
In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the ra ...
at his first national event. In 2013, Norris competed in
KF-Junior class, winning the
CIK-FIA European Championship and the CIK-FIA International Super Cup, as well as the
WSK Euro Series
The WSK Euro Series is a European open kart racing competition organised by the WSK. Its inaugural season took place in 2010. Today, the series holds championships in four karting categories: KF2, OK, OKJ and 60 Mini. Notable champions have ...
. The following year he won the
CIK-FIA World Championship in
KF class with Ricky Flynn Motorsport, making him the youngest karting world champion in that category.
Ginetta Junior Championship
Lando Norris made a single appearance in the
IMSA SportsCar Championship during the 2018 season, competing in the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona with United Autosports. Driving the
Ligier JS P217 in the Prototype (P) class, powered by a Gibson GK428 4.2L V8 engine, Norris shared the car with co-drivers Phil Hanson and Fernando Alonso. Despite showing competitive pace at times and briefly leading the race for 8 laps, the team encountered several mechanical issues, including brake problems and a lengthy stop for repairs, which ultimately hampered their performance. They finished 38th overall and 20th in class, completing 751 laps—well behind the leaders. Due to only participating in this single event and not scoring any championship points, Norris was classified 58th in the final standings.
Lower formulae
Formula 4
For 2015, Norris signed with
Carlin Motorsport
Carlin, formerly known as Carlin Motorsport and Rodin Carlin, was a motor racing team based in the United Kingdom. It primarily competed in junior racing championships such as FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3. Carlin also competed in top level ...
to drive in the newly established
MSA Formula Championship (now known as the
F4 British Championship
The F4 British Championship (full name Wera Tools F4 British Championship certified by FIA, formerly known as F4 British Championship certified by FIA — powered by Ford (2016–21), MSA Formula (2015)) is a single-seater motorsport seri ...
). Norris took eight wins, ten pole positions, and fourteen total podiums to win the championship ahead of
Ricky Collard and
Colton Herta
Colton Thomas Herta (born March 30, 2000) is an American auto racing, racing driver who competes in the IndyCar Series, NTT IndyCar Series for Andretti Autosport, Andretti Global with Curb Agajanian Performance Group, Curb Agajanian. He is the yo ...
. He also made occasional appearances in the
ADAC
The ADAC, officially the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (), is Europe's largest automobile association. The ADAC is the largest wikt:Verein, ''verein'' (club) in Germany, with around 21 million members. Its headquarters are located i ...
and
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
Formula 4 championships with
Mücke Motorsport where he claimed six podiums from eight starts in the former.
Formula Three and Formula Renault
In January 2016, Norris travelled to
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
to compete in the
Toyota Racing Series
The Formula Regional Oceania Championship is New Zealand's premier formula racing category. The series includes races for every major trophy in New Zealand circuit racing including the New Zealand Motor Cup and the Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy. ...
with the
M2 Competition team. He achieved six race wins, including the
New Zealand Grand Prix
The New Zealand Grand Prix, sometimes known as the New Zealand International Grand Prix, is an annual motor racing event held in New Zealand. First held in 1950 New Zealand Grand Prix, 1950, it is best known for hosting rounds of the Tasman Seri ...
, and won the championship ahead of
Jehan Daruvala
Jehan Daruvala (Marathi language, Marathi pronunciation: Help:IPA, ͡ʒeˈɦɑn daːruːvaːlaː born 1 October 1998) is an Indian racing driver who last raced in the Formula E for Maserati MSG Racing. He was a protégé of the Force India ...
. Norris then returned to Europe to race in the
Formula Renault 2.0 category with
Josef Kaufmann Racing
Josef Kaufmann Racing is a motorsport team from Germany. It mainly operates in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 as well as Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup. The team was founded in 1982.
History
In 1982, Josef Kaufmann Racing was founde ...
, competing in both the
Eurocup and
Northern European Cup. He won both series, taking eleven race wins in total and recording ten consecutive pole positions in the latter. At the same time, Norris embarked on a part-time campaign in the
BRDC British Formula 3 Championship
The GB3 Championship is a single seater motorsport series based in the United Kingdom. The championship is the UK's premier single-seater category, and is aimed at young racing drivers moving up from FIA Formula 4 championships, the GB4 Champi ...
and claimed four wins in eleven races. In October he made a guest appearance in the final round of the
European Formula 3 Championship
The FIA Formula 3 European Championship was a European Formula Three (F3) auto racing competition, organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). After one season of the FIA Formula 3 International Trophy, the FIA revived th ...
at the
Hockenheimring
The Hockenheimring, officially Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg () is a motor racing circuit situated in the Rhine valley near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on the Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other mot ...
in preparation for the
Macau Grand Prix
The Macau Grand Prix (; ) is an annual motorsport road racing event for automobiles and motorcycles held on the Guia Circuit in Macau. The event includes the Formula Regional and Motorcycle Grand Prix title races, with other races for Touri ...
in November. Norris placed ninth in qualifying in Macau but was eliminated from the qualification race after crashing on the first lap. In the main race, he progressed from 27th on the grid to finish 11th.
Norris raced full-time with Carlin in the
2017 European Formula 3 Championship, and faced competition from
Joel Eriksson,
Maximilian Günther
Maximilian Günther (born 2 July 1997) is a Germans, German-Austria, Austrian racing driver currently competing under the German flag in Formula E for DS Penske. Günther has previously driven in Formula 2 with Arden International, BWT Arden and ...
and
Callum Ilott
Callum Benjamin Ilott ( ; born 11 November 1998) is a British racing driver who competes in the IndyCar Series, driving No. 90 Dallara-Chevrolet for Prema Racing. He previously competed in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship racing for ...
for the championship title. Norris finished on the podium in twenty of the thirty races, including nine wins, and recorded eight pole positions. He clinched the title with two races remaining, marking his fifth racing championship title in four years. In November, Norris made his second appearance at the Macau Grand Prix. He was classified second in qualifying but dropped to seventh in the qualification race. He benefited from an accident between the leaders on the final lap to finish the Grand Prix second behind
Dan Ticktum
Daniel Charles Anthony Ticktum (born 8 June 1999) is a British racing driver, who competes in Formula E for Kiro Race Co.
Born in London, Ticktum began competitive kart racing aged eight, winning several national titles. Graduating to junior f ...
.
Formula 2
The weekend following the Macau Grand Prix, Norris made his
FIA Formula 2 debut with
Campos Racing
Campos Racing (formerly Adrián Campos Motorsport and Campos Grand Prix) is a Spanish motor racing team based in Alzira, Valencia, founded by former Formula One driver Adrián Campos in 1997. The team has been successful in Formula Three, GP2 S ...
, replacing
Ralph Boschung
Ralph Boschung (; born 23 September 1997) is a retired Swiss people, Swiss racing driver who most recently competed in the 2023 Formula 2 Championship, 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship for Campos Racing. He is a race winner in the 2016 GP3 Series ...
for the final round of the season at the
Yas Marina Circuit
The Yas Marina Circuit (Arabic: حلبة مرسى ياس) is a 5.281 km (3.281 mi) motorsport circuit situated on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke. It has hosted the season-ending Formula One ...
. Prior to the season, Norris expressed that "
Charles Leclerc">/nowiki>Charles Leclerc">Charles_Leclerc.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Charles Leclerc">/nowiki>Charles Leclerc/nowiki> has done it [in ] so if I want to beat or prove I'm just as a good then I'm going to have to win [the title as a rookie]", adding that he didn't think there was "any point in going for second or third".
Norris competed full-time in the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship, racing alongside Sérgio Sette Câmara
Sérgio Santos Sette Câmara Filho (born 23 May 1998) is a Brazilians, Brazilian racing driver who currently competes in the 2025 European Le Mans Series with Nielsen Racing. He previously competed in Formula E, having previously raced for Drago ...
at Carlin. Norris won the opening race at the Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit () is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 Series (now FIA Formula 2 Championship, FIA Formula 2), and the annual Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Formula One season, 2004 Gr ...
from pole position, however, this would prove to be his only race victory of the season. He scored consistent points and podium finishes to hold the lead of the championship until the sixth round at the Red Bull Ring
The Red Bull Ring is a motorsport race track in Spielberg, Austria, Spielberg, Styria, Austria. The race circuit was founded as Österreichring (translation: Austrian Circuit) and hosted the Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from t ...
, when George Russell passed him in the standings. Norris retired from both races at the eleventh round at Sochi Autodrom
The Sirius Autodrom (), known before 2024 as Sochi Autodrom () and originally as the Sochi International Street Circuit and the Sochi Olympic Park Circuit, is a permanent race track in the settlement of Sirius next to the Black Sea resort city o ...
, ruling him out of championship contention and dropping him to third place in the standings behind Alex Albon, although he recovered to second place after the final round in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
.
Formula One career
In February 2017, Norris joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme. Following the announcement, Zak Brown
Zakary Challen Brown (born November 7, 1971) is an American motorsports executive, currently serving as the chief executive officer of McLaren Racing. Born and raised in California, Brown raced professionally around the world for ten years befor ...
said that Norris was "a fabulous prospect" who deserved the award. Later that year, Norris tested for McLaren in a scheduled mid-season test. He set the second fastest lap in the second day of testing at the Hungaroring
The Hungaroring is a motorsport racetrack in Mogyoród, Pest County, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtai ...
. In late 2017, Norris became the official McLaren test and reserve driver for the 2018 season. Norris participated in his first official practice session at the Belgian Grand Prix
The Belgian Grand Prix (; ; ) is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship.
The first national race of Belgium was held in 1925 at the Spa region's race course, an area of the country that had been associated ...
, recording 26 laps. Norris drove in six further practice sessions during the year.
McLaren (2019–present)
2019: Rookie season
Norris was contracted to drive for McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...
for the 2019 Formula One World Championship, partnering Carlos Sainz Jr. He qualified eighth on his debut at the and finished the race in twelfth place. He scored his first Formula One points by finishing sixth at the following race, the . The was the first of Norris' retirements that season, after damage from a first lap collision with Daniil Kvyat
Daniil Vyacheslavovich Kvyat ( rus, Даниил Вячесла́вович Квят, p=dənʲɪˈil vʲɪtɕɪˈslavəvʲɪtɕ ˈkvʲat; born 26 April 1994) is a Russian racing driver who competes under a neutral flag in the IMSA SportsCar C ...
caused him to retire later in the race. Further retirements came at the after a collision with Lance Stroll
Lance Strulovitch (; born 29 October 1998), commonly known as Lance Stroll (), is a Canadian racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin.
Born and raised in Montreal, Stroll is the son of billionaire businessman Lawrence Stroll ...
and at the when a brake fire caused his suspension to fail.
Norris was on course to finish seventh at the but suffered hydraulic problems late in the race and was eventually classified ninth. This was followed by a sixth-place finish at the , matching his best result. He was forced to start from the back at the due to penalties for exceeding the allowed number of engine components for the season. He later retired from the race after a power failure. At the , he made his way from eleventh up to fifth in the early stages of the race. He maintained this position and was set to record his best career finish but suffered a power failure on his final lap and was classified eleventh.
Three consecutive points finishes followed at the Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
and Russian
Russian(s) may refer to:
*Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*A citizen of Russia
*Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages
*''The Russians'', a b ...
Grands Prix. At the , Norris was running in fifth place before Alex Albon collided with him during an overtake attempt. Norris dropped back after collecting floor damage and eventually finished eleventh. At the next race, the , he had a wheel fitted incorrectly after pitting from seventh place. He spent almost two minutes in the pits as his mechanics resolved the problem but he was eventually withdrawn from the race. He ended the season with three consecutive points finishes.
Norris finished his debut Formula One season eleventh in the drivers' championship with 49 points. Teammate Sainz scored 96 points, however Norris out-qualified Sainz at eleven of the twenty-one races. During his debut year, Norris signed a multi-year contract to stay with McLaren for the 2020 season until .
2020: Maiden podium
At the season-opening , Norris qualified in fourth place but was elevated to third after a grid penalty for Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...
, the highest grid position of his career at the time and the highest for McLaren since the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix. In the closing stages of the race, third-placed Hamilton was issued a five-second penalty for causing a collision with Alex Albon. Norris set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap to finish 4.802 seconds behind Hamilton, allowing Norris to claim the first podium finish of his career. This made Norris the third youngest podium-finisher in Formula One history. At the , Norris qualified sixth but was given a three-place grid penalty for overtaking under yellow flags during practice. He passed three cars in the final two laps of the race to finish fifth, in what he described as "one of the best races of iscareer".
Six consecutive points finishes came between the British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
and Tuscan Grands Prix. Norris collected damage on the opening lap of the and finished the race fifteenth. At the , he retired from sixth place with power unit failure. During the , a collision with Lance Stroll
Lance Strulovitch (; born 29 October 1998), commonly known as Lance Stroll (), is a Canadian racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin.
Born and raised in Montreal, Stroll is the son of billionaire businessman Lawrence Stroll ...
and a puncture resulted in a thirteenth-place finish. Following this, Norris faced criticism over his remarks that Stroll "doesn't seem to learn" and his perceived downplaying of Lewis Hamilton's achievement of most Grand Prix wins, describing it as meaning "nothing to him". Subsequently, Norris apologised for his comments about Stroll and also offered a personal apology to Hamilton, stating that his comments were "careless" and that he " adn'tshown the respect I should have to certain people".
At the wet Turkish Grand Prix
The Turkish Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor race held at Istanbul Park, designed by Hermann Tilke. The race was part of the Formula One World Championship between and , and to , the latter two being due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fel ...
Norris had what he called " heworst start of everyone's career ever". He started from fourteenth place after a five-place grid penalty for failing to respect yellow flags in qualifying, but recovered to finish eighth and recorded the fastest lap of the race. Norris finished fourth at the and fifth at the season-finale , which alongside the points scored by teammate Sainz, assisted McLaren in claiming third place in the constructors' championship over Racing Point
Racing Point F1 Team, which competed as BWT Racing Point F1 Team and commonly known as Racing Point, was a British motor racing team and constructor that Racing Point UK entered into the Formula One World Championship. The team was based i ...
. Norris ended the season ninth in the drivers' championship with 97 points, eight points behind Sainz.
2021: Maiden pole position
Norris remained at McLaren for the season, partnering Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Joseph Ricciardo ( , ; born 1 July 1989) is an Australian racing driver, who most recently competed in Formula One from to . Ricciardo won eight Formula One Grands Prix across 14 seasons.
Born and raised in Perth to Italian-Australi ...
as Sainz left the team for Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
. Norris qualified seventh for the season-opening and finished the race fourth. At the following race, the , a qualifying time that would have placed him third on the grid was deleted for exceeding track limits, and he started the race seventh. Norris had run in second place before being passed by Lewis Hamilton with three laps remaining. He finished third to claim his second Formula One podium finish. At the , Norris started fifth and benefited from Charles Leclerc
Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc (; born 16 October 1997) is a Monégasque racing driver who competes in Formula One for Ferrari. Leclerc was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari, and has won Grands ...
's failure to start the race and Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Viktor Bottas (; born 28 August 1989) is a Finnish racing driver, who serves as a reserve driver in Formula One for Mercedes. Bottas competed in Formula One from to , and twice finished runner-up in the World Drivers' Championship in ...
' retirement to claim another podium finish. Norris was issued a grid penalty and started ninth at the for failing to enter the pits during a red flag period in qualifying, a sanction he criticised as "unfair". He recovered places in the race to finish fifth, assisted by crashes and mistakes from drivers ahead.
Norris equalled his then-highest grid position at the in Austria, starting third after Bottas was issued with a grid penalty. He finished fifth for the third consecutive race. He bettered this qualifying position at the following weekend's , starting in second place after setting a time 0.048 seconds behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen
Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...
. Norris received a penalty during the race after being judged to have forced Sergio Pérez
Sergio Michel "Checo" Pérez Mendoza (; born 26 January 1990) is a Mexican racing driver, who most recently competed in Formula One from to . Pérez was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Red Bull, and won Gr ...
off the track. He finished the race third to claim his third podium of the season. He set the sixth fastest time in Friday qualifying at the , before finishing fifth in the new-format sprint qualifying and fourth in the Grand Prix. This result moved him up to third place in the drivers' championship. He qualified sixth for the . He improved to third place by the first corner but was hit from behind by Bottas, causing him to collide with Verstappen. Norris retired from the race two laps later due to heavy damage. At the , Norris finished fourth in sprint qualifying, which became third on the grid for the race as Bottas incurred an engine penalty. Norris finished the race second behind teammate Ricciardo, scoring his fourth podium of the season and securing McLaren's first one-two finish since the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix.
Norris took his first Formula One pole position in changing weather conditions in qualifying at the . He lost the lead to Carlos Sainz on the first lap before regaining it on lap 13. Norris continued to lead the race with Lewis Hamilton close behind until rain began to fall in the closing laps. Norris decided to stay out on dry-weather tyres while Hamilton pitted for intermediate tyres. The rain soon worsened, allowing Hamilton to overtake and forcing Norris to pit for intermediates. Norris finished seventh, recording the fastest lap of the race. Norris scored points in each of the remaining seven races of the season, but did not finish higher than seventh. He qualified third at the season-ending and was the first of the five cars controversially permitted to unlap themselves on the penultimate lap of the race. He criticised the decision to resume the race on the final lap and described it as being done "for the TV". The result of the final race dropped Norris to sixth in the World Drivers' Championship, 4.5 points behind former teammate Sainz. Nevertheless, Norris achieved his career best result in the standings and scored 160 points to teammate Ricciardo's 115.
2022
In February 2022 Norris signed a contract extension with McLaren that will see him be with team until at least 2025. He completed all three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain after teammate Ricciardo tested positive for COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
and was unable to attend.
Both McLaren drivers qualified and finished outside the top ten at the season-opening . Norris then scored points at the Saudi Arabian and Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal Aus ...
Grands Prix before achieving the team's only podium finish of the season with third place at the . At the new , the safety car was deployed when Norris was involved in a crash with Pierre Gasly
Pierre Jean-Jacques Gasly (; born 7 February 1996) is a French racing driver who competes in Formula One for Alpine. Gasly won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix with AlphaTauri.
Born and raised in Normandy, Gasly began competitive kart racing age ...
's AlphaTauri. Despite suffering with tonsillitis
Tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils in the upper part of the throat. It can be acute or chronic. Acute tonsillitis typically has a rapid onset. Symptoms may include sore throat, fever, enlargement of the tonsils, trouble swallowing, and en ...
, Norris came sixth in the Monaco Grand Prix
The Monaco Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor racing event held annually on the Circuit de Monaco, in late May or early June. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the wo ...
and secured the fastest lap. He qualified fifteenth at the but recovered in the sprint and the race to finish seventh. He then qualified fourth for the but was unable to keep Lewis Hamilton and the two Red Bulls behind and finished seventh.
Norris started seventeenth at the with a power unit components penalty and failed to score points, finishing twelfth. He started third at the but again lost out to the Red Bulls and finished seventh. His best result since Emilia Romagna came at the where he and Ricciardo finished fourth and fifth respectively, briefly promoting McLaren to fourth place above Alpine
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National P ...
in the Constructors' Championship. He scored points in the sprint, but a gearbox failure eliminated him from the points positions in the race. He ended the season with sixth place and the fastest lap at the . He finished seventh in the Drivers' Championship and scored 122 points to Ricciardo's 37.
2023
Norris remained with McLaren for 2023, partnered by rookie Oscar Piastri
Oscar Jack Piastri ( ; born 6 April 2001) is an Australian racing driver who competes in Formula One for McLaren. Piastri has won Formula One Grands Prix across three seasons.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Piastri began his career in radio-co ...
who replaced Ricciardo. At the first race at Bahrain, both McLaren cars experienced reliability issues. Norris made six pit stops to manage the problem and finished seventeenth and last of the finishing drivers. He was eliminated in the first qualifying session (Q1) for the first time since 2019 at the after hitting the wall. He received damage from debris on the opening lap and again finished seventeenth. The saw McLaren score their first points of the season; Piastri finished eighth and Norris improved from thirteenth at the start to sixth at the finish. Another Q1 knockout at the and contact with Nyck de Vries
Hendrik Johannes Nicasius "Nyck" de Vries (; born 6 February 1995) is a Dutch racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing, Toyota and in Formula E for Mahindra Racing, Mahindra. In formula racing, ...
at the start resulted in another finish outside the points. He qualified third at the but first-lap contact with Lewis Hamilton dropped him to the back. He was demoted from a points finish at the with a penalty for "unsportsmanlike behaviour" after slowing excessively whilst entering the pit lane to create a gap to Piastri ahead.
McLaren brought upgrades to Norris's MCL60 for the ; team principal Andrea Stella commented that "pretty much the entire car" had been redesigned. Norris qualified fourth for the race, third for the sprint and finished fourth in the race. More success came at the where Norris and Piastri qualified second and third respectively, a result Norris described as "insane". He passed Max Verstappen at the first corner and led the race for four laps before Verstappen regained the place. In the later stages of the race, Norris held off Lewis Hamilton to finish second, making him the first McLaren driver to finish on the podium at Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in England, near the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. It is the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted as the 1948 British Grand Prix. The 1950 British Grand ...
since Hamilton in 2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
. He then qualified third and defended from Sergio Pérez to finish second at the , the first consecutive podiums of his Formula One career. He accidentally broke Verstappen's first place trophy – a handmade Herend worth around $45,000 – during the podium celebrations; the trophy was later replaced. He started second at the but criticised his team's decision not to change tyres during a rain shower; he went on to finish seventh.
Four consecutive podiums began with the , where he held off the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and George Russell and finished less than a second behind race winner Carlos Sainz Jr., his former McLaren teammate. Sainz, who had Norris strategically hold up both Mercedes, praised Norris for allowing him to take the victory; his teammate Charles Leclerc had been passed by Hamilton and Russell, who had boxed for fresher mediums, and was thus unable to hold them up. He qualified third, behind teammate Piastri, at the , but passed him in the race to finish second. He led much of the having qualified second and passed Charles Leclerc at the start, but was ultimately overtaken by Verstappen and Hamilton. Hamilton's post-race disqualification promoted Norris to second place. Norris failed to set a competitive qualifying time at the , starting seventeenth, but recovered to finish the race fifth. At the , he claimed sprint race pole position but was overtaken by Verstappen at the first corner and finished second. He also finished second in the main race, having started sixth and gained four places at the start. His only retirement of the season came at the penultimate round, the . He qualified sixteenth and crashed heavily on the third lap. He was taken to hospital for precautionary checks and was discharged the same day.
Norris scored 205 points in total to Piastri's 97 and placed sixth in the Drivers' Championship, matching his result from 2021. He finished only one point behind fourth place, as Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
and Charles Leclerc tied on 206 points.
2024: Maiden win and title challenge
Ahead of the 2024 season, Norris signed a new multi-year contract with McLaren. He finished sixth at the first race, the . and took his first podium of the season at the , starting and finishing third. He took the season's first sprint pole at the , but dropped positions on the opening lap of the sprint and finished sixth. For the main race, he qualified fourth, overtook Fernando Alonso and gained on Sergio Pérez in the pits to finish second, his fifteenth Formula One podium. At the , he retired from the sprint after a first-corner collision with Alonso. He qualified fifth for the main race and led the race after the drivers ahead had made pit stops. A subsequent safety car allowed Norris to pit and retain his lead, which he held ahead of Verstappen at the restart to claim his maiden Grand Prix victory after 110 races and his 16th podium finish, tying the record for the most podiums before taking a first win, a record he now shares with Patrick Depailler
Patrick André Eugène Joseph Depailler (; 9 August 1944 – 1 August 1980) was a French racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Depailler won two Formula One Grands Prix across eight seasons.
Depailler was born in Clermont-Ferran ...
, Mika Häkkinen
Mika Pauli Häkkinen (; born 28 September 1968) is a Finnish former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "the Flying Finn", Häkkinen won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with M ...
, Eddie Irvine
Edmund "Eddie" Irvine Jr. (; born 10 November 1965) is a former racing driver from Northern Ireland, who competed Formula One drivers from the United Kingdom, under the British flag in Formula One from to . Irvine was runner-up in the Formula ...
and Jean Alesi
Jean Robert Alesi (; born Giovanni Roberto Alesi, 11 June 1964) is a French former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Alesi won the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix with Ferrari.
Born and raised in Avignon, Alesi started karting a ...
.
After Miami, Norris achieved five podiums before the summer break. He scored podiums at Imola
Imola (; or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical region Romagna ...
, where he was catching Verstappen but did not manage to pass him to win, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, where he briefly led the race but lost out to Verstappen through strategy, and Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, where he took pole position but lost out at the start. Despite coming short of several opportunities, Norris stated he believed himself to be a championship rival to Verstappen after the uproar of his MCL38's overall performance. Norris failed to score a podium at Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
, finishing fourth behind teammate Oscar Piastri
Oscar Jack Piastri ( ; born 6 April 2001) is an Australian racing driver who competes in Formula One for McLaren. Piastri has won Formula One Grands Prix across three seasons.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Piastri began his career in radio-co ...
, and in Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, where he sparred with Verstappen before making race-ending contact with him. Norris achieved further podiums at the , finishing in third following botched strategy, and Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, where he took pole position but lost out at turn one, giving his teammate Oscar Piastri the lead; after strategy prioritised him first, McLaren invoked team orders on Norris, ordering him to slow down to give Piastri the lead and eventual race win. Norris finished in sixth at the , behind Verstappen, but was promoted to fifth following the disqualification of another driver.
Following the summer break, Norris achieved pole position at the . During the race, he lost out to second-placed Verstappen at the start, but he eventually reclaimed first place through DRS. He kept the lead, which he extended to 22 seconds by the chequered flag, to take his second victory; McLaren's first at the Circuit Zandvoort
Circuit Zandvoort (), known for sponsorship reasons as CM.com Circuit Zandvoort, previously known as Circuit Park Zandvoort until 2017, is a motorsport race track located in the dunes north of Zandvoort, the Netherlands, near the North Sea coas ...
since Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda (22 February 1949 – 20 May 2019) was an Austrian racing driver, motorsport executive and aviation entrepreneur, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Lauda won three Formula One World Drivers' Champ ...
's victory in 1985, and the first non-Red Bull or Max Verstappen victory at the venue since its return to the Formula One calendar in 2021. Norris then took pole position for the Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
race, marking the first consecutive pole positions of his career and becoming the first McLaren driver to achieve this feat since Lewis Hamilton in 2012. He started the race ahead of Piastri, marking McLaren's first front-row lockout at Monza since 2012. However, Norris lost out to his teammate, who overtook him at turn four, and would end up finishing in third behind Piastri and race winner Charles Leclerc
Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc (; born 16 October 1997) is a Monégasque racing driver who competes in Formula One for Ferrari. Leclerc was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari, and has won Grands ...
, though he still achieved the fastest lap on lap 53. Norris suffered his and McLaren's first Q1 elimination since the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix during qualifying for the . Norris aborted his lap after a brief yellow flag was shown at sector three; Esteban Ocon
Esteban José Jean-Pierre Ocon-Khelfane (; born 17 September 1996) is a French racing driver who competes in Formula One for Haas F1 Team, Haas. Ocon won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with Alpine F1 Team, Alpine.
Born and raised in Normandy to ...
had brushed his car against the wall, damaging it. Norris, who was approaching sector three, was forced to lift due to this, forcing him to abandon the lap. Norris recovered to fourth after passing Verstappen, and the combined results of him and teammate, race winner Piastri, allowed McLaren to take the lead of the Constructors' Championship for the first time since .
Norris took his fifth pole position of the season at the Singapore Grand Prix and set a new qualifying lap time record at the Marina Bay Street Circuit
The Marina Bay Street Circuit (otherwise known as the Singapore Street Circuit) is a street circuit around Marina Bay, Singapore, encompassing the planning areas of Downtown Core (Turns 4 to 19) and Kallang (Turns 1 to 3).
It is the venue f ...
. A dominant display saw him claim his third win by a 20 second margin over Verstappen, and lead every lap to victory. At the United States Grand Prix
The United States Grand Prix is a motor racing event that has been held on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The Grand Prix later became part of the Formula One World Championship. , the Grand Prix has been held ...
, Norris qualified fourth for the sprint, and finished third. Norris took his sixth pole position for the main race but lost out while battling Verstappen, allowing both Ferraris to take the lead and eventual race win. Norris ended up battling with Verstappen for the final place of the podium, of which Norris was denied after a five-second penalty was awarded for overtaking Verstappen off-track, and Norris qualified in third for the Mexico City Grand Prix and finished second after capitalising on a mistake for Charles Leclerc.
Despite winning the São Paulo Grand Prix sprint from second place after Piastri was told to swap positions, Norris, who started the main race on pole position, his seventh of the season, after being at risk of being knocked out in Q1, violated the procedures regarding aborted starts and then lost position to George Russell; the violation earned him a fine. Following Hülkenberg's assisted recovery, for which he was awarded a disqualification, the virtual safety car came out, and Norris opted to box. Following a red flag thanks to a crash involving Franco Colapinto
Franco Alejandro Colapinto (; born 27 May 2003) is an Argentine racing driver who competes in Formula One for Alpine F1 Team, Alpine.
Born and raised in Pilar, Buenos Aires, Colapinto began competitive kart racing aged nine, winning several reg ...
's remaining Williams and a wall, and Sainz's error soon afterward, Norris lost more positions on the safety car restart, falling down to a lowly seventh. He would stay in seventh, moving up to sixth after Piastri let him through. Verstappen won the race from seventeenth, swinging the championship back towards him. Ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is a motor racing event that forms part of the Formula One World Championship, taking place in Paradise, Nevada, in the United States. It is conducted as a night race on Las Vegas Strip Circuit, a temporary street circ ...
, Norris appeared to concede that any realistic hopes of taking the drivers' championship away from Verstappen had ended, though insisted his season had still been good. Norris also admitted that he had not prepared for a potential Drivers' Championship title bid at the beginning of the 2024 season. Keith Collantine of ''RaceFans'' opined that in the first 21 rounds of the calendar, Norris had lost 92 points purely through driving errors. Norris qualified and finished the in sixth place whilst rival Verstappen finished fifth, mathematically ending Norris' title bid with two rounds remaining. At the sprint, Norris led every lap from pole until he purposely slowed down approaching the finish line, handing the victory to Piastri as a return of favour for the São Paulo sprint. Nigel Chiu of ''Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a group of British broadcasting of sports events, subscription sports channels operated by the satellite television, satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television ...
'' compared the move to Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...
's at the 2002 United States Grand Prix. He received a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for speeding under yellow flags whilst running second in the race, ultimately finishing in tenth whilst Charles Leclerc of Ferrari who was now Norris's main challenger for the championship runner up spot in the drivers' championship finished the Grand Prix second behind champion Verstappen. Norris's error and strong Ferrari results in Qatar helped reduce McLaren's lead in the constructors' championship to second placed Ferrari to 21 points heading into the final round of the 2024 season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor racing event. The first race took place on 1 November 2009, held at the Hermann Tilke-designed Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, near Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
The ...
, and reduced Norris's advantage over Charles Leclerc for second place in the drivers' championship to just eight points heading into the same event. In Abu Dhabi, Norris took pole and led from lights-to-flag in his fourth win of the season, which secured McLaren's first constructors' title since .
2025
McLaren entered as title favourites, with Norris stating he had learned "a lot of lessons" in his bid to become World Drivers' Champion. He took pole for the season-opening , defending the lead from teammate Oscar Piastri
Oscar Jack Piastri ( ; born 6 April 2001) is an Australian racing driver who competes in Formula One for McLaren. Piastri has won Formula One Grands Prix across three seasons.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Piastri began his career in radio-co ...
and Max Verstappen
Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...
in wet conditions to claim victory and the championship lead. After finishing eighth in the sprint, he claimed second in the main race behind Piastri. In Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, he finished second to Verstappen, who reduced his championship lead to a single point. Norris increased his championship lead to three points over Piastri with his third-placed finish at the , after qualifying sixth—claiming he felt "clueless" in the MCL39—and receiving a penalty for a start infringement. Norris crashed out of qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix () is an annual Formula One motor racing event which took place for the first time in 2021. The inaugural edition of the race was held in Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, where it is schedule ...
, recovering to fourth from tenth and dropping below Piastri in the standings. Benefitting from a late safety car
In motorsport, a safety car, or a pace car, is a car that limits the speed of competing cars or motorcycles on a racetrack in the case of a ''caution period,'' such as an obstruction on the track or bad weather. The safety car aims to enable the ...
to pass Piastri with a shortened pit stop
Pitstop may refer to:
* Pit stop, in motor racing, when the car stops in the pits for fuel and other consumables to be renewed or replenished
* ''Pit Stop'' (1969 film), a movie directed by Jack Hill
* ''Pit Stop'' (2013 film), a movie directe ...
, he won the sprint; he finished second to Piastri in the main race after a battle with Verstappen. He finished second in Emilia Romagna
Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 million.
Emilia-Romagna is one of ...
before winning the from pole, reducing Piastri's lead to three points. A collision with Piastri in a battle for fourth at the saw Norris retire from the race.
Other racing
Endurance racing
Norris joined United Autosports
United Autosports is a sports car racing team based in Wakefield, England, United Kingdom, founded by businessman Zak Brown and former driver Richard Dean (racing driver), Richard Dean.
United Autosports has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans (LMP2 Cl ...
for the 2018 24 Hours of Daytona in the IMSA SportsCar Championship
The IMSA SportsCar Championship, currently known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under sponsorship, is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada and organized by the International Motor Sports Association (I ...
, alongside Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
and Philip Hanson. They finished 13th in-class and 38th overall; following the race, Alonso hailed Norris' "impressive speed", further acclaiming his teamwork, preparation and focus.
Sim racing
Norris competed in sim racing
Sim racing is the collective term for racing games that attempt to accurately simulate auto racing, complete with real-world variables such as fuel usage, damage, tire wear and grip, and suspension settings. To be competitive in sim racing, a dr ...
for ''Team Redline'' at multiple ''iRacing
''iRacing'' is a subscription-based online sim racing video game developed and published by iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations in 2008. All in-game sessions are hosted on the publisher's servers. The game simulates real world cars, tracks, and ...
'' events in 2019; he debuted at the '' Bathurst 12 Special Event''—a 12-hour virtual team endurance race—in February, alongside Max Verstappen
Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...
. The pair won the ''Spa
A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...
24 Special Event'' in July. Norris entered two rounds of the 2020 IndyCar iRacing Challenge for Arrow McLaren
The IndyCar Series operation of McLaren, competing as Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team due to sponsorship, is based in Indianapolis and was founded by former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt in 2001 as Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM). The team operates the N ...
, winning the fifth round at the Circuit of the Americas
Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a Grade 1 Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA-specification motor racing track and facilities located in Austin, Texas, United States. The facility is home to the Formula One United States Grand Pr ...
.
Norris competed in the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual
The 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual was an esports 24-hour automobile endurance race for Le Mans Prototype (LMP) and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance (LMGTE) vehicles held on a simulated version of the Circuit de la Sarthe from 13 to 14 ...
with Redline in the LMP2
A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is a type of sports prototype race car used in various races and championships, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series, and Asian Le M ...
class alongside Verstappen, as well as esports drivers Atze Kerkhof and Greger Huttu. After qualifying in fifth, the team were met with a series of technical problems, forcing their retirement overnight. A red flag was called, allowing the team to rejoin 18 laps down and finish 25th in-class.
Other ventures
Philanthropy
Norris raised over for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund
COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund was a global fund for supporting the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) in containing the COVID-19 pandemic. It was launched on 13 March 2020 by the United Nations Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy F ...
, in support of the World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
, during an online live streaming
Livestreaming, live-streaming, or live streaming is the streaming media, streaming of video or Digital audio, audio in real-time communication, real time or near real time. While often referred to simply as ''streaming'', the real-time nature ...
event on Twitch
Twitch may refer to:
Biology
* Muscle contraction
** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation
** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction
** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle c ...
in March 2020. He also founded ''Team Quadrant'' in 2020, an esports
Esports (), short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, played individually or as teams. ...
team which also focuses on content creation and apparel.
Talking to ITV's '' This Morning'' in 2021, Norris confirmed that he had struggled with his mental health
Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...
in the wake of his Formula One debut, stating that "coming into Formula One at 19, there's a lot of eyes on you. So, dealing with all these kinds of things, took its toll on me". He referred supporters to the Mind
The mind is that which thinks, feels, perceives, imagines, remembers, and wills. It covers the totality of mental phenomena, including both conscious processes, through which an individual is aware of external and internal circumstances ...
charity, which Norris has worked extensively with in partnership with McLaren.
LN Kart
In September 2021, Norris launched an eponymous kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on kart circuit, scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on fu ...
brand known as ''LN Racing Kart''. The manufacturing is supported by the OTK Kart Group, while operations are carried out by Ricky Flynn Motorsport, who Norris won the Karting World Championship
The FIA Karting World Championship, officially known as the Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a kart racing competition organised by the CIK-FIA. Hosted annually since 1964, it is widely regarded as the ...
with in 2014.
Awards and honours
Formula One
* Formula One World Drivers' Championship
Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of Open wheel car, open-wheeled auto racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name refers to a set of r ...
runner-up:
* DHL Fastest Lap Award: 2024
* Lorenzo Bandini Trophy: 2023
Other awards
* Autosport Awards British Competition Driver of the Year: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024
* Autosport BRDC Award: 2016
* Autosport Awards National Driver of the Year: 2017
* Autosport Awards British Club Driver of the Year: 2016
Karting record
Karting career summary
Complete CIK-FIA results
Complete CIK-FIA Karting World Championship results
Complete CIK-FIA Karting European Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Racing record
Racing career summary
As Norris was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.
Season still in progress.
Complete Ginetta Junior Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete MSA Formula results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete ADAC Formula 4 results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Italian F4 Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete BRDC Formula 4 Autumn Trophy results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Toyota Racing Series results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete BRDC British Formula 3 Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete FIA Formula 3 European Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.
As Norris was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.
Complete Macau Grand Prix results
Complete FIA Formula 2 Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate points for the fastest lap of the top-10 finishers)
Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results
Complete Formula One results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap; superscript indicates point-scoring sprint position)
Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.
Season still in progress.
References
External links
*
*
British Racing Drivers' Club profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norris, Lando
1999 births
Living people
English racing drivers
Sportspeople from Bristol
English expatriate sportspeople in Monaco
Toyota Racing Series drivers
British F4 Championship drivers
English people of Flemish descent
ADAC Formula 4 drivers
Italian F4 Championship drivers
Formula Renault Eurocup drivers
Formula Renault 2.0 NEC drivers
BRDC British Formula 3 Championship drivers
FIA Formula 3 European Championship drivers
FIA Formula 2 Championship drivers
24 Hours of Daytona drivers
English Formula One drivers
McLaren Formula One drivers
English Twitch (service) streamers
People educated at Millfield
English victims of crime
Ginetta Junior Championship drivers
Carlin racing drivers
Mücke Motorsport drivers
Josef Kaufmann Racing drivers
M2 Competition drivers
Campos Racing drivers
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers
Karting World Championship drivers
United Autosports drivers
Formula One race winners