Lando Norris

Lando Norris Lando Norris is the reigning Formula 1 world champion, a Bristol-born driver who rose with McLaren from midfield prospect to title winner and now races with the number 1 on his car. In 2026 he has two wins so far and McLaren are still in the hunt.

Early ascent

Born in 1999 in Bristol, Norris moved quickly through karts and into cars, collecting major junior titles with unusual speed and consistency. He won the British F4 (then MSA Formula) championship in 2015, added the Toyota Racing Series early in 2016, and then did the double in Formula Renault 2.0 by taking both the Eurocup and NEC crowns that same year. The following season he claimed the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, and in 2018 he stepped up to FIA Formula 2 with Carlin and finished runner-up. Those results put him on McLaren’s radar early; he became part of the team’s programme and was moved into a race seat for 2019.

Establishing in Formula 1

Norris debuted with McLaren in 2019, finishing 11th in the standings with 49 points. His first podium came at the opening round of 2020 in Austria, where a late fastest lap secured third place, and he closed that campaign ninth overall with 97 points.

Near-misses to regular podiums

The 2021 season confirmed his front-running potential. Norris took his first pole position at Sochi and came within sight of a breakthrough win before a late rain shower and the wrong tyre call cost him the lead; he still ended the year sixth in the championship on 160 points. In 2022 he kept McLaren present in podium conversations despite a more difficult car, taking a third place at Imola and finishing seventh overall with 122 points. The team’s step in form during 2023 returned Norris to the podium regularly, and he closed that season sixth with 205 points. A stable partnership with new team-mate Oscar Piastri from 2023 strengthened McLaren’s development rhythm and Sunday execution.

Breakthrough wins and the title

Norris’s first Formula 1 victory arrived in 2024, the season that converted him from podium regular to race winner. He won four grands prix that year and finished second in the championship with 374 points, the culmination of years of incremental gains with McLaren. The following season delivered the ultimate payoff: seven victories across 2025, 423 points in total, and his first world championship. That title made him the first McLaren drivers’ champion since the team’s previous golden eras and gave him the right to carry the number 1 into 2026.

2026 so far

As the 2026 season continues, Norris sits fifth in the standings on 188 points with two wins. McLaren remains his home. Whatever the remaining rounds bring, the record to date is clear: 2019 to 2023 built the foundations, 2024 delivered the first wins, 2025 brought the title, and 2026 has already reinforced that he is more than a one-season champion.

Lando Norris is 26 years old, was born in Bristol, United Kingdom and first entered Formula 1 in 2019. The British driver races for McLaren under number 1.