Lando Norris has become Britain's 11th Formula 1 World champion, fulfilling what many in motorsport saw as a long-predicted destiny. Born in Bristol to Belgian-British parents and raised in Glastonbury, the 26-year-old began karting at eight and was on pole for first national event. Backed by his multimillionaire father Adam Norris and guided early on by manager Mark Berryman, his junior career consistently marked him as a future F1 contender. When the family lacked contacts as he moved into car racing, they approached Zak Brown, then a leading motorsport marketing executive, who initially thought, "this is not what I do," but relented because, as he put it, "everyone tells me he is the greatest thing since sliced bread." Brown says he realised Norris was the real deal "pretty much right away."
Stephanie Carlin, who worked with Norris through the junior ranks, recalls: "He was just phenomenally quick... there's been an underlying talent and speed and pace that's existed from the first time he got in a car." After Brown joined McLaren in 2016, Norris' path accelerated. In the 2018 Daytona 24 Hours, paired with Fernando Alonso, Norris set himself the goal of lapping faster than the two-time world champion, and did. Brown says: "Fernando Alonso, one of the best racing drivers in the world, Lando was his march."
When Alonso left F1 later that year, Norris became McLaren's natural choice. In early practice sessions, he even embarrassed his elders; Brown recounts a moment at Monza when Norris was on a quicker lap, and Alonso blocked him, prompting Norris' protest, Fernando just blocked me!", and laughter on the pit wall: "Welcome to Formula 1."
Norris impressed from his 2019 debut, matching Carlos Sainz and later overwhelming Daniel Ricciardo. Even Alonso, on his return to F1, paid tribute by inscribing a helmet swap with: "You are a star, a rock star." Off track, Norris' humour, openness, and online presence made him a fan favourite and fuelled his own gaming and lifestyle brand. Brown says Norris has grown from a shy teenager into "a better team leader, more prescriptive in what he wants," without ever lacking confidence.
Seven seasons after his debut, and having remained loyal to McLaren as it rose from midfield struggler to frontrunner, Norris has finally claimed the sport's biggest prize.
