Lando Norris

Lando Norris joined McLaren in 2019 as a bright-eyed 19-year-old more comfortable on social media than the podium, and spent the early years of his career building a reputation as one of Formula 1's most naturally gifted drivers in a car that was chronically uncompetitive. The McLaren of those years was, at best, a midfield threat on circuits that suited it — and yet Norris's performances consistently outpaced expectations, demonstrating an instinctive feel for the car that his engineers noted was exceptional even by Formula 1 standards.

His first race win came at Miami in 2024, in a race he dominated from the front after overtaking Max Verstappen's Red Bull in a move that confirmed McLaren's resurgence had become a genuine threat to the top teams. The relief and emotion at the finish — 110 Formula 1 starts before standing on the top step — was visible from the cockpit camera. Norris had come close before, most notably at Sochi 2021 where he led comfortably until a late rain shower caught him without wet tyres and he dropped from first to seventh on the final lap.

What Norris brings to Formula 1 that is relatively unusual is an exceptional ability to set up a car for his own style. His engineering feedback is detailed and precise enough that McLaren's chassis development has been shaped substantially by his input — a quality associated more typically with drivers later in their careers. Combined with his speed over a single lap, his tyre management, and his racecraft, it makes him one of the most complete drivers of his generation.

His openness about the challenges of professional sport — the pressure, the expectation, the difficulty of performing at elite level — has made him one of Formula 1's most relatable personalities in an era when the drivers are reaching audiences far beyond the traditional motorsport fan base. He is simultaneously one of the best and one of the most human drivers in the paddock, and that combination has made him one of the sport's most compelling figures.