Lando Norris

Biography of F1 driver Lando Norris

Lando Norris, a driver for McLaren, stands out as one of the most promising young talents in Formula 1, showcasing his skills since joining the British team in the 2019 season.

With a multi-year contract extending until 2025, Norris's continued association with McLaren reflects the team's confidence in his abilities.

But who exactly is Lando Norris, and what is the journey that led him to F1? Here is a comprehensive overview of everything you need to know about Lando Norris.

Norris' early career

Norris embarked on his motorsport journey at the age of seven, initiating his karting endeavors with his brothers at a track near his hometown of Bristol in the United Kingdom.

With support from his father, Adam Norris, who is involved in investment management, Lando competed in karting events across Europe, eventually achieving victory in the 2013 WSK Euro Series and securing the World KF Championship title the following year.

In 2014, Norris transitioned to racing cars in the Ginetta Junior Championship, clinching second place in his first two races and concluding the season in third overall with four victories.

Notably, at the age of 14, the British driver became the youngest World Championship winner in the CIK-FIA KF World Championships.

The subsequent year saw him making a move to Formula 4, where he claimed the inaugural MSA Formula Championship title with the Carlin team.

Norris' ascent up the open-wheel ladder

In 2016, Norris upped the ante once again and began racing in multiple series across the world, including the winter Toyota Racing Series New Zealand, along with campaigns in the Formula Renault Eurocup and the Northern European Cup.

The packed schedule paid dividends, as the young Briton went on to win three championship titles, while also making his European F3 debut at the Hockenheimring.

He would also race with Carlin at the Macau Grand Prix, but a crash in the qualifying race meant he started from 26th on the grid. Norris managed to work his way up to 11th in the main event.

In 2017, Norris focused his efforts on the European Formula 3 series, getting a seat with Carlin.

The youngster managed to bag wins at Silverstone and Monza, but a poor run, where he failed to convert good qualifying positions into points, meant he fell down the leaderboard midway through the season.

However, he would go on to string together a series of wins and, despite a crash at the Red Bull Ring, was able to win the title by 71 points.

The performance attracted the attention of McLaren, who added Norris to their young driver roster and set him up for his first-ever Formula 1 test at the Hungaroring.

In November, the team confirmed that Norris would be the F1 test and reserve driver for the 2018 season. The Briton paired his McLaren duties with a campaign in Formula 2, where he fought a hard battle all season with fellow future F1 drivers George Russell and Alex Albon, finishing second overall.

F1 debut with McLaren

McLaren entered the 2019 F1 season on the back of some poor results. With the departure of Fernando Alonso, a seat opened up, and Norris was paired with Carlos Sainz as part of the team's all-new driver pairing.

The duo were quick to make their mark, and their arrival seemed to energise the outfit. McLaren finished fourth, comfortably outperforming their 2018 results.

However, for Norris, his teammate scored more than double the points that he managed. Lando ended the year with 49 of the team's 145 points, though he did outqualify Sainz on 11 occasions.

COVID-19 disrupted the 2020 season, resulting in a delayed and shortened calendar, but Norris took a significant step forward in terms of his performance. His online popularity off-track, with his gaming streams during the lockdown, matched the ability he showed on the circuit.

First podium for Norris in Austria

He took his first-ever F1 podium finish at the Austrian Grand Prix after a scintillating and viral last few laps when he cut through the pack to secure the result, becoming the youngest Briton to ever stand on the podium.

Norris finished the year in ninth place in the World Championship and, whilst he was again beaten by Sainz, the gap had closed significantly.

Whereas Sainz opted to switch to Ferrari for 2021, Norris stayed with McLaren, signing a multi-year contract extension that will see him remain with the team for the foreseeable future.

Norris and Sainz have remained friends though, with their amiable relationship making them a popular duo amongst fans.

Another step forward in 2021

Norris was joined by new teammate Daniel Ricciardo for the 2021 season, but quickly made his mark by outperforming the more experienced Australian.

At only the second race of the year, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Norris secured a podium finish, and went on to consecutively score points in the first 10 races of the season.

This strong run of form also included a further two podiums at Monaco and Austria, as well as a fourth place at his home event, the British Grand Prix.

A high point of the year for McLaren came at the Italian Grand Prix, where Ricciardo and Norris clinched a 1-2 finish for the team.

This proved to be the final top three finish of the year for Norris, with McLaren appearing to struggle more against rivals Ferrari in the latter half of the calendar, but Norris still managed to score points at most events.

The Briton also narrowly missed out on what would have been his first Formula 1 victory at the Russian Grand Prix. Norris took his debut pole position in qualifying, something that he admitted came as a bit of a surprise.

He went on to put in a strong performance in Sunday's race and was on course for the win when rain began to fall with just five laps remaining. Norris opted to stay on track rather than pit for Intermediate tyres.

This proved to be the wrong call, with torrential rain falling at some parts of the Sochi track. Norris slipped down the order as a result and eventually finished in P7, leaving him feeling "devastated".

Norris was able to hold onto P6 in the World Championship, with former teammate Sainz just ahead in fifth and Charles Leclerc only one point behind in seventh.

Mixed feelings in 2022

After coming remarkably close in 2021, Norris must have harbored hopes of securing his first Grand Prix victory in 2022.

Regrettably for the British driver, this aspiration did not materialize, as McLaren's MCL36 proved unable to compete at the forefront.

Nevertheless, Norris showcased exceptional performance in 2022, significantly outscoring his teammate Daniel Ricciardo by 122 points to 37. Almost single-handedly, he kept McLaren in contention for fourth place in the Constructors' Championship - a position they ultimately relinquished to Alpine.

Notably, Norris stood out as the sole driver from outside the Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes teams to grace the podium in 2022. He secured third place at Imola, a feat achieved just three races after brake issues had led to a disappointing 15th-place finish in Bahrain.

The 2023 and 2024 season

The 2023 season started alarmingly poorly for Lando Norris. The McLaren was completely uncompetitive, causing both Norris and Piastri to regularly finish well outside the top ten in the early races. It seemed to be shaping up as a disastrous season, accompanied by a lot of frustration. However, from the Austrian Grand Prix onwards, the car appeared much more competitive. Norris finished an impressive fourth in that race. This positive trend continued, with the British driver ultimately accumulating 205 points for the Papaya team. Additionally, Lando Norris stood on the podium seven times. Together with Oscar Piastri's outstanding performances, this secured the team's fourth place in the Constructors' Championship.

This would have been beyond anyone's dreams considering the performances in the early GPs. How Lando Norris will perform in 2024 and whether he can contend for the world title remains an intriguing question.