Lando Norris joins the pantheon of British F1 World Champions
09 December 2025Lando Norris has etched his name into motorsport history by becoming the 2025 Formula 1 World Champion, and with that title, he joins a list of some of the sport’s most decorated drivers.
With this latest anointment, Lando became only the 35th champion in F1’s history. Exclusive company indeed. But the numbers get smaller still when he is mentioned in the same breath as his compatriots.
How many British drivers are F1 champions?
The UK has had a strong presence in F1 since its inception, but in its 75-year history, there had been just 10 British Champions. That was until Norris added an 11th name to that list in 2025.
It’s more than any other country in the sport, but still a very select group.
Between them, those 11 drivers have amassed a staggering 21 World Drivers' Championships, solidifying Britain's place as the most successful nation in F1 history.
Who are the British F1 champions?
Norris’ maiden title sees him join a lineage that began with Mike Hawthorn in 1958 and includes double-title winners Graham Hill (1962, 1968) and Jim Clark (1963, 1965).
He also stands shoulder-to-shoulder with John Surtees, the only man to win world titles on two and four wheels and Sir Jackie Stewart, who claimed three championships in 1969, 1971 and 1973.
James Hunt added his name to the list in 1976, followed by Nigel Mansell in 1992 and Damon Hill in 1996.
In the modern era, the club has been dominated by Sir Lewis Hamilton, whose record-equalling seven titles make him the most successful British driver of all time. The last man to join the list before Norris was Jenson Button, who famously secured his fairytale title with Brawn GP in 2009.
The McLaren connection
It is fitting that Norris achieved his dream with McLaren. The Woking-based team has been the vehicle for some of Britain's greatest triumphs.
Lando follows in the footsteps of James Hunt and Lewis Hamilton, both of whom won their first titles in McLaren machinery.
Like Hamilton, Norris has been nurtured by the team from a young age, and his victory brings the Drivers' Championship back to McLaren for the first time since Lewis’ title in 2008.
One of the youngest Brits to do it
At 26 years old, Lando is the second-youngest Brit to be crowned champion behind Hamilton who took the title at 23.
What next for Norris?
Norris will head into 2026 with the #1 on his car, but taking a second title in succession will be a tall order.
Next season’s new set of regulations will wipe out the advantage McLaren enjoyed in 2025, and reset the order of the field heading into a fresh campaign.
Not only that, but Oscar Piastri has pushed Lando all the way to the final round in 2025. The Brit will face even fiercer competition from within his own garage as his team-mate gains more experience and comes back hungrier than ever.
Then, of course, there’s Max Verstappen to be added into the equation. With the Dutchman on the grid, there’s no such thing as an easy run to a title.
But for now, Lando Norris can revel in the celebrations. He is no longer just a British race winner; he is an F1 World Champion, and a member of one of the most exclusive clubs in British motorsport.
