Lando Norris: A title built on resilience
10 December 2025- Drivers’ standings: 1st
- Points: 423
- Best finish: 1st x7
- Best qualifying: 1st x7
- Podiums: 18
It has been 17 years since a McLaren driver last lifted the World Drivers’ Championship trophy. In 2025, Lando Norris finally ended that drought, etching his name into history as the 35th Formula 1 World Champion and the 11th Brit to claim the ultimate prize in motorsport.
In a season defined by a relentless three-way fight between Norris, team-mate Oscar Piastri and the reigning champion Max Verstappen, it was Norris’ enduring consistency that ultimately delivered the crown.
A turbulent opening stint
Norris opened his account in the best way possible, mastering a rain-affected Australian Grand Prix to take pole, fastest lap and the victory. It was a statement drive when his team-mate faltered at his home race, but Lando would go winless for the next six races.
While Piastri and Verstappen traded victories in China, Japan, and Bahrain, Norris kept his tally ticking over with three successive podiums.
With those wins eluding him, signs of pressure began to creep in on Saturdays. A mistake in Q3 in Bahrain and a heavy crash in Jeddah qualifying forced him into recovery drives, though he salvaged impressive 3rd and 4th place finishes respectively.
The battle intensified in Miami, where Norris won the Sprint but had to settle for second behind Piastri in the Grand Prix, after getting muscled out by Verstappen at Turn 1.
He followed that up by battling past his team-mate to finish second to Verstappen in Imola, before reclaiming the top step in Principality. Controlling the Monaco weekend from the front, he held off Charles Leclerc and Piastri to take the jewel-in-the-crown victory for the first time in his career.
The Montreal blunder and a sensational summer
After being bested by Oscar in Barcelona, the pressure was mounting. Norris’ nadir of the season came at the following round in Montreal.
Another poor qualifying saw Lando start 7th, and after a steady recovery drive, he found himself battling his teammate for fourth in the final five laps.
A misjudgement on the start/finish straight saw him hit the back of Piastri’s car, resulting in a DNF that threatened to derail his confidence and his season.
But a champion is not defined by their mistakes, but by how they learn from them. Canada proved to be a pivotal turning point in the campaign. Norris used Montreal as motivation, fuelling his performances to win three of the next four races.
The highlight was undoubtedly the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where Lando took an emphatic victory in front of a record home crowd.
He finished second to Piastri in Spa before edging out his team-mate by less than a second in Hungary, heading into the summer break with momentum on his side.
When F1 resumed in Zandvoort, Lando’s challenge was dealt a cruel blow. While hounding Piastri for the lead, a mechanical failure just eight laps from home meant a DNF and non-score, putting a massive dent in his title charge.
Leaving the Netherlands, Piastri’s lead was up to 34 points and Lando faced a mountain to climb.
The championship charge
Resilience was the theme of Norris’ campaign from then on. Despite a lacklustre seventh in Azerbaijan, he racked up podiums in Monza, Singapore, and Austin.
Then, he truly hit his stride. Dominating back-to-back Grands Prix in Mexico City and São Paulo with some of the finest drives of his career, he seized the championship lead from Piastri when it mattered most.
But the drama wasn't over. Las Vegas was a disaster. After taking pole, he was muscled out by Verstappen at Turn 1 and finished a distant second, only for both McLarens to be disqualified for excessive skid block wear. All the while, the reigning champion was notching wins at an alarming rate and closing in on the McLarens in the standings.
In Qatar, a strategy fumble from the team left Lando fifth in the closing stages, but he managed to pass Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the final laps to secure fourth and an additional two points that would prove crucial later.
The finale: Holding his nerve
Heading into the Abu Dhabi finale 12 points ahead of Verstappen and 16 clear of Piastri, the equation was simple but by no means easy: finish on the podium.
Norris delivered a mature, calculated drive. Finishing third behind Verstappen and Piastri, resisting early pressure from Leclerc to do exactly what was needed.
He crossed the line to secure the title by a razor-thin margin, just two points ahead of Max and 13 ahead of Oscar.
With Max taking one more victory than Lando across the season, if Norris had scored two fewer points and finished level with Verstappen, the Dutchman would’ve taken the crown.
Consistency is king
While Verstappen’s eight wins surpassed Lando’s seven, the difference was in Norris’ podium presence.
Excluding wins, Lando racked up 11 podiums compared to Max’s 7 and Oscar’s 8. In a season of fine margins, that consistency earned him the title.
A new reigning champion
Lando Norris will run the Number 1 on his car in 2026, but he faces a daunting title defence. The new regulations will reset the field, meaning McLaren is unlikely to enjoy the same performance advantage as it did in 2025.
Oscar Piastri will also be looking to make amends; his performance in just his third season was remarkable and the Australian will be pushing Lando even harder next year. Norris has conquered the Formula 1 World Championship, but staying on top might be his toughest challenge yet.
