Lando Norris ( ; born 13 November 1999) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for McLaren. Norris won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 2025 with McLaren, and has won 12 Grands Prix across eight seasons.
Born in Bristol and raised near Glastonbury to an English father and Belgian mother, Norris began competitive kart racing aged eight. After a successful karting career—culminating in his victory at the senior World Championship in 2014—Norris graduated to junior formulae. He won his first title at the 2015 MSA Formula Championship with Carlin. He then won the Toyota Racing Series, Formula Renault Eurocup, and Formula Renault NEC in 2016, receiving the Autosport BRDC Award that year. Norris won the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in 2017, and finished runner-up to George Russell in the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2018, both with Carlin.
A member of the McLaren Young Driver Programme since 2017, Norris joined McLaren in 2019 to partner Carlos Sainz Jr., making his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix. He achieved his maiden podium finish and fastest lap at the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix in 2020, before achieving his maiden pole position at the Russian Grand Prix in 2021, amongst several further podiums. Following another podium in 2022, he took seven across his 2023 campaign. In 2024, Norris achieved his maiden win at the Miami Grand Prix, repeating this feat three times as he finished runner-up to Max Verstappen in the World Drivers' Championship. He took seven further victories in 2025, including his home Grand Prix in Britain, as he won his maiden title in a battle with Verstappen and teammate Oscar Piastri.
As of the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris has achieved 12 race wins, 17 pole positions, 20 fastest laps, and 47 podiums in Formula One. He is contracted to remain at McLaren until at least the end of the 2027 season. Norris was listed in the 2026 edition of Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
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Early life and education
Norris was born on 13 November 1999 in Bristol, England and grew up near Glastonbury. His father, Adam Norris, is a retired pensions manager who co-owned Hargreaves Lansdown and ranked 610th on the 2022 Sunday Times Rich List with a net worth of £200 million. His mother, Cisca Norris (née Wauman), is from the Flanders region of Belgium and gave him the name "Lando", which Norris has stated was not inspired by Lando Calrissian from Star Wars. He has three siblings—two younger sisters and an older brother, Oliver, who was also involved in karting on a competitive level until 2014. Norris holds both British and Belgian citizenship, and speaks a small amount of Dutch. In his early childhood, Norris tried horse riding, then quad biking and motorcycle riding before moving into karting after his father took him to watch the national British Karting Championships at age seven. Norris was educated at Chew Stoke Church School and later at Millfield School in Street, Somerset. He left Millfield in year 10 to concentrate on his racing career without taking his GCSEs, opting to study physics and mathematics with a full-time personal tutor. He cites Valentino Rossi as an inspiration for his racing career.
Junior racing career
Karting (2008–2014)
Norris started his racing career at the age of eight when he claimed pole position at his first national event. In 2013, Norris competed in KF-Junior class, winning the CIK-FIA European Championship and the CIK-FIA International Super Cup, as well as the WSK Euro Series. The following year he won the CIK-FIA World Championship in KF class with Ricky Flynn Motorsport, making him the youngest karting world champion in that category.
Ginetta Junior (2014)
In 2014, Norris made his car racing debut in the Ginetta Junior Championship, a support series to the British Touring Car Championship. He finished third in the championship, winning four races and claiming the Rookie Cup.
Formula 4 (2015)
For 2015, Norris signed with Carlin Motorsport to drive in the newly established MSA Formula Championship (now known as the F4 British Championship). Norris took eight wins, ten pole positions, and fourteen total podiums to win the championship ahead of Ricky Collard and Colton Herta. He also made occasional appearances in the ADAC and Italian Formula 4 championships with Mücke Motorsport where he claimed six podiums from eight starts in the former.
Formula Three / Formula Renault 2.0 (2016–2017)
In January 2016, Norris travelled to New Zealand to compete in the Toyota Racing Series with the M2 Competition team. He achieved six race wins, including the New Zealand Grand Prix, and won the championship ahead of Jehan Daruvala. Norris then returned to Europe to race in the Formula Renault 2.0 category with Josef Kaufmann Racing, competing in both the Eurocup and Northern European Cup. He won both series, taking eleven race wins in total and recording ten consecutive pole positions in the latter. At the same time, Norris embarked on a part-time campaign in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship and claimed four wins in eleven races. In October, he made a guest appearance in the final round of the European Formula 3 Championship at the Hockenheimring in preparation for the Macau Grand Prix in November. Norris placed ninth in qualifying in Macau but was eliminated from the qualification race after crashing on the first lap. In the main race, he progressed from 27th on the grid to finish 11th.
Norris raced full-time with Carlin in the 2017 European Formula 3 Championship, and faced competition from Joel Eriksson, Maximilian Günther and Callum Ilott for the championship title. Norris finished on the podium in twenty of the thirty races, including nine wins, and recorded eight pole positions. He clinched the title with two races remaining, marking his fifth racing championship title in four years. In November, Norris made his second appearance at the Macau Grand Prix. He was classified second in qualifying but dropped to seventh in the qualification race. He benefited from an accident between the leaders on the final lap to finish the Grand Prix second behind Dan Ticktum.
FIA Formula 2 (2017–2018)
The weekend following the Macau Grand Prix, Norris made his FIA Formula 2 debut with Campos Racing, replacing Ralph Boschung for the final round of the 2017 season at the Yas Marina Circuit. Prior to the season, Norris expressed that "[Charles Leclerc] has done it [in 2017] so if I want to beat or prove I'm just as a good [sic] then I'm going to have to win [the title as a rookie]", adding that he did not think there was "any point in going for second or third".
Norris competed full-time in the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship, racing alongside Sérgio Sette Câmara at Carlin. Norris won the opening race at the Bahrain International Circuit from pole position, however, this would prove to be his only race victory of the season. He scored consistent points and podium finishes to hold the lead of the championship until the sixth round at the Red Bull Ring, when George Russell passed him in the standings. Norris retired from both races at the eleventh round at Sochi Autodrom, ruling him out of championship contention and dropping him to third place in the standings behind Alex Albon, although he recovered to second place after the final round in Abu Dhabi.
Formula One career
In February 2017, Norris joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme. Following the announcement, Zak Brown said that Norris was "a fabulous prospect" who deserved the award. Later that year, Norris tested for McLaren in a scheduled mid-season test. He set the second fastest lap in the second day of testing at the Hungaroring. In late 2017, Norris became the official McLaren test and reserve driver for the 2018 season. Norris participated in his first official practice session at the Belgian Grand Prix, recording 26 laps. Norris drove in six further practice sessions during the year.
McLaren (2019–present)
Norris signed for McLaren for the 2019 Formula One World Championship, partnering Carlos Sainz Jr. He qualified eighth on his debut at the Australian Grand Prix and finished the race in twelfth place. He scored his first Formula One points by finishing sixth at the following race, the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Chinese Grand Prix was the first of Norris's retirements that season, after damage from a first lap collision with Daniil Kvyat caused him to retire later in the race. Further retirements came at the Spanish Grand Prix after a collision with Lance Stroll and at the Canadian Grand Prix when a brake fire caused his suspension to fail.
Norris was on course to finish seventh at the French Grand Prix but suffered hydraulic problems late in the race and was eventually classified ninth. This was followed by a sixth-place finish at the Austrian Grand Prix, matching his best result. He was forced to start from the back at the German Grand Prix due to penalties for exceeding the allowed number of engine components for the season. He later retired from the race after a power failure. At the Belgian Grand Prix, he made his way from eleventh up to fifth in the early stages of the race. He maintained this position and was set to record his best career finish but suffered a power failure on his final lap and was classified eleventh.
Three consecutive points finishes followed at the Italian, Singapore and Russian Grands Prix. At the Japanese Grand Prix, Norris was running in fifth place before Alex Albon collided with him during an overtake attempt. Norris dropped back after collecting floor damage and eventually finished eleventh. At the next race, the Mexican Grand Prix, he had a wheel fitted incorrectly after pitting from seventh place. He spent almost two minutes in the pits as his mechanics resolved the problem but he was eventually withdrawn from the race. He ended the season with three consecutive points finishes.
Norris finished his debut Formula One season eleventh in the drivers' championship with 49 points. Teammate Sainz scored 96 points, however Norris out-qualified Sainz at eleven of the twenty-one races. During his debut year, Norris signed a multi-year contract to stay with McLaren for the 2020 season until 2022.
At the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix, Norris qualified in fourth place but was elevated to third after a grid penalty for Lewis Hamilton, the highest grid position of his career at the time and the highest for McLaren since the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix. In the closing stages of the race, third-placed Hamilton was issued a five-second penalty for causing a collision with Alex Albon. Norris set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap to finish 4.802 seconds behind Hamilton, allowing Norris to claim the first podium finish of his career. This made Norris the third youngest podium-finisher in Formula One history at the time. At the Styrian Grand Prix, Norris qualified sixth but was given a three-place grid penalty for overtaking under yellow flags during practice. He overtook three cars in the final two laps of the race to finish fifth, in what he described as "one of the best races of [his] career".
Other racing
Endurance racing
Norris made his endurance racing debut in 2018, joining United Autosports for the 24 Hours of Daytona in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, alongside Fernando Alonso and Phil Hanson in the No. 23 Ligier JS P217. They finished thirteenth in the premier Prototype class and thirty-eighth overall, rising to sixth early in the race before encountering brake and throttle issues; following the race, Alonso hailed Norris's "impressive speed", further acclaiming his teamwork, preparation, and focus. Norris had brought the No. 23 to the lead in wet conditions prior to his first pit stop.
Sim racing
Norris competed in sim racing for Team Redline at multiple iRacing events in 2019; he debuted at the Bathurst 12 Special Event—a 12-hour virtual team endurance race—in February, alongside Max Verstappen. The pair won the Spa 24 Special Event in July. Norris entered two rounds of the 2020 IndyCar iRacing Challenge for Arrow McLaren, winning the fifth round at the Circuit of the Americas.
Norris competed in the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual with Redline in the LMP2 class alongside Verstappen, as well as esports drivers Atze Kerkhof and Greger Huttu. After qualifying in fifth, the team were met with a series of technical problems, forcing their retirement overnight. A red flag was called, allowing the team to rejoin 18 laps down and finish 25th in-class.
Other ventures
Norris founded Team Quadrant in 2020, an esports team which also focuses on content creation and apparel. Norris retains a minority stake in the venture after he and father Adam ceded majority financial control of the venture to the Veloce Media Group in July 2025. Prior to attaining this majority share the Veloce Media Group had already been serving as a business partner and collaborator in the Team Quadrant venture with Norris since its inception in 2020.
In September 2021, Norris launched an eponymous kart racing brand known as LN Racing Kart. The manufacturing for the group is supported by the OTK Kart Group, while operations are carried out by Ricky Flynn Motorsport, who Norris won the Karting World Championship with in 2014. The chassis debuted in international competition in 2022, winning its maiden World Cup in the OK-N class two years later.
Personal life
At the start of his Formula One career in 2019, Norris resided near the McLaren Technology Centre in Surrey, England—before moving to Monaco in early 2022. He was in a relationship with Portuguese model Luisinha Oliveira from August 2021 to September 2022. Norris dated Portuguese actress Margarida Corceiro from 2024 until early 2026.
Norris has become one of Formula One's biggest voices for mental health awareness by openly discussing his struggles with anxiety, self-doubt and high emotional pressure, especially during his first years competing in the sport. He has worked extensively with the charity Mind to advocate for mental health in partnership with McLaren. After winning his first F1 title in 2025, Norris admitted he sometimes struggled mentally during the first half of the campaign, but said working more closely with a sports psychologist significantly improved his mental strength and played a key role in his success.
Norris regularly plays golf, and cites the sport as his favourite form of escapism away from racing. He got into golf during the COVID lockdown and through his then McLaren teammate Carlos Sainz. Since then, Norris has contested in multiple celebrity pro–am events and was invited to play at Augusta National one day after winning his first Formula One race at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix.
Awards and honours
Formula One
Formula One World Drivers' Championship: 2025
DHL Fastest Lap Award: 2024, 2025
Lorenzo Bandini Trophy: 2023
Other awards
Time 100: 2026
Autosport Awards British Competition Driver of the Year: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025
Autosport Champion: 2026
Autosport BRDC Award: 2016
Autosport Awards National Driver of the Year: 2017
Autosport Awards British Club Driver of the Year: 2016
BBC Sports Personality of the Year third-place: 2025
Best Driver ESPY Award: 2026
Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year: 2026
Karting record
Complete CIK-FIA results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Racing record
Racing career summary
† As Norris was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.
* Season still in progress.
Complete Ginetta Junior Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete MSA Formula results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete ADAC Formula 4 results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Italian F4 Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete BRDC Formula 4 Autumn Trophy results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Toyota Racing Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete BRDC British Formula 3 Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete FIA Formula 3 European Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
† Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.
‡ As Norris was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.
Complete FIA Formula 2 Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate points for the fastest lap of the top-10 finishers)
Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Formula One results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap; superscript indicates point-scoring sprint position)
† Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.
* Season still in progress.