Lando Norris

1. Who is Lando Norris?

Lando Norris is a British Formula 1 racing driver born on November 13, 1999. He has played for McLaren since 2019.

Lando Norris in 2024 © DPPI

2. Lando Norris’ junior journey

Lando Norris confirms his immense potential glimpsed in karting, where he was crowned CIK-FIA world champion in 2014, with a British F4 title the following year. The youngster's exceptional 2016 season (titles in the Toyota Racing Series, Renault 2.0 Eurocup and Renault 2.0 NES) opened the doors to the McLaren junior program and European F3 in 2017.

With Carlin Motorsport, he won the title by climbing the podium twenty times, in thirty races, signing nine victories for eight pole positions. That year, he made his first F1 drive with McLaren during F1 mid-season testing at the Hungaroring.

Promoted to test pilot with the Woking firm in 2018, the Briton won, again with Carlin, the inaugural F2 round in Bahrain. This will only be his only victory in the antechamber of F1.

He is beaten in the championship by his compatriot, George Russell, titled with ART at the end of the season. McLaren, with which Norris carried out several free practice sessions at the end of the season, announces his tenure for the 2019 season in the premier category.

Lando Norris, Alex Albon and George Russell in F2 (Photo: F2)

3. Lando Norris’s Grand Prix (Formula 1) journey

In a team in full restructuring, and alongside Carlos Sainz Jr., Lando Norris does not miss his debut with McLaren in Formula 1. Often keeping pace with the Spaniard in qualifying, the young Englishman pulls off some brilliant moves, including a sixth place in Austria, and is getting used to finishing races in the points.

From the first meeting of 2020, his talent exploded even more in the face of sport. At Spielberg, he placed third at the start, the best position for a McLaren since Jenson Button's 5th place on the grid in 2016, still in Austria. The young Englishman had a remarkable race, concluded with a final epic loop to set the fastest lap in the race and steal 3rd place from Lewis Hamilton, who was penalized.

Norris thus signs his first career podium. He confirmed his progress in racing by achieving several top 5 finishes, including a fourth place in Italy. Endowed with an astonishing burst of speed, he is gaining in maturity and allows, thanks to his consistency, to greatly participate in McLaren's war effort, new 3rd in the constructors' ranking.

Ninth in the drivers' standings, Lando Norris embodies the promising future of the historic Woking team. This extends the Englishman's lease beyond the 2022 season. For his third season in F1, Lando Norris is joined by Australian Daniel Ricciardo.

Very popular among the younger generation due to his activity on social networks such as Instagram, Lando Norris is having a magnificent 2021 season with a podium in the 2nd Grand Prix at Imola. Very consistent while his new teammate struggles to achieve good results, the Englishman continues to make an impression, thus confirming his status as No. 1 at Woking.

If it was Daniel Ricciardo who won the only victory of the season for the English team, the 22-year-old driver obtained the best results over the whole year, finishing in 6th place in this 72nd edition of the F1 world championship.

Lando Norris achieved pole position at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix (Photo Xavi Bonilla / DPPI)

In the era of the new 2022 regulations, McLaren maintains its stability: Lando Norris continues in the Papaya team alongside Ricciardo. But, from start to finish, the Briton carried the team on his shoulders, struggling with his car and doing his best to recover precious points. However, it is impossible to compete with Alpine, Norris often in two against one against Ocon and Alonso. He still finished best of the others, in 7th place behind the drivers of the top teams.

He emerged victorious from the internal duel at McLaren against a fading Ricciardo, but his new teammate Oscar Piastri challenged him in his rookie year in 2023. Despite a difficult start to the year marked by a single-seater in decline, McLaren progressed thanks to developments made since the British Grand Prix. The Briton lived up to expectations, taking seven podiums, including one at Silverstone, while maintaining consistency in the second half of the season. Norris finished in 6th place in the championship, while the team gradually moved closer to the top of the standings.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the Las Vegas drivers' parade in 2023 © ANTONIN VINCENT / DPPI

The 2024 season marked a turning point for Lando Norris and McLaren. Armed with an MCL38 capable of competing with the Red Bulls and Ferraris, the papaya team returned to the top. The Bristol native even took his first Formula 1 victory at the Miami Grand Prix. With three more wins, the man who was never far from the podium became Max Verstappen's runner-up, ahead of Charles Leclerc. By winning the final round of the season, Norris helped McLaren win its first Constructors' title since 1998 against Ferrari. He approaches the 2025 season with the ambition of being crowned World Champion.

Constructors' title celebration for Lando Norris and Zak Brown © DPPI

4. AUTOhebdo's opinion on Lando Norris

At 25, Lando Norris has already racked up six full seasons with McLaren. And the Bristol native is going fast, very fast… Excellent in the timed lap exercise, he still shows room for improvement in the pace and science of racing.
Fortunately, with McLaren, the Number 4 has a team that he knows by heart and that is giving him back by ensuring his future. In full rise since his debut, 2024 becomes the year of consecration. First victory, Constructors' title, nothing seems to be able to slow down the Briton who hopes to become World Champion in 2025. It remains to be seen whether his ambitions can be achieved while Red Bull and Ferrari will be lying in wait...

5. Learn more about Lando Norris

• Lando Norris: “We were quite limited in Bahrain”

• F1 2022 Guide – How Lando Norris Woke McLaren