Lando Norris is entering his seventh season as a McLaren driver. He joined the team back in 2019 as part of a brand-new line-up alongside Carlos Sainz.
Sainz only stayed at Woking for two years before a chance to join Ferrari presented itself. Norris was then joined by Daniel Ricciardo, but McLaren paid him off before the end of his contract after a hugely disappointing couple of years.
Oscar Piastri became Norris’ third teammate at the start of 2023, and now McLaren’s line-up looks set for the long-term – though nothing is certain in F1, of course. Piastri won Formula 2 as an Alpine academy driver but Zak Brown successfully poached him after a legal battle.
Norris currently ranks fourth on the all-time appearance list for McLaren. By the end of the season, he should reach 152 Grands Prix, which will see him overtake David Coulthard at the top.
| RANK | DRIVER | VICTORIES | PODIUMS | RACES |
| 1 | David Coulthard | 12 | 51 | 150 |
| 2 | Jenson Button | 8 | 26 | 136 |
| 3 | Mika Hakkinen | 20 | 51 | 131 |
| 4 | Lando Norris | 4 | 26 | 128 |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | 21 | 49 | 110 |
| 6 | Alain Prost | 30 | 63 | 107 |
| 7 | Ayrton Senna | 35 | 55 | 96 |
| 8 | Fernando Alonso | 4 | 12 | 94 |
| 9 | Kimi Raikkonen | 4 | 36 | 87 |
| 10 | Denny Hulme | 6 | 21 | 86 |
Norris is already McLaren’s leading points-scorer, having surpassed the 1,000 mark. But what he really wants is to lead the win tally – he’s still 31 short of Ayrton Senna for the moment.
Martin Brundle praises Lando Norris for keeping faith in McLaren amid Red Bull interest
Martin Brundle was in attendance on Thursday as McLaren’s 2025 car rolled out for a shakedown. Brundle drove for the team himself in 1994, partnering Mika Hakkinen.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, he expressed his admiration for Norris, who ‘trusted’ McLaren amid ‘enticing offers’ from elsewhere. He signed a new multi-year contract before the start of last season.
Red Bull made ‘serious attempts’ to sign Norris in the winter of 2024 as they eyed a replacement for Sergio Perez alongside Max Verstappen. But the £2.7bn-valued team couldn’t lure him away from his racing home.
- READ MORE: 2024 F1 team valuations as Ferrari dwarf rivals and Williams shoot up the leaderboard
Brundle says last year’s constructors’ triumph was vindication for Norris. Now he wants the ‘total payback’ of taking the drivers’ crown.
“What I admire about Lando is that, when a lot of drivers would have left McLaren – there were a lot of enticing offers – he trusted the team,” Brundle said. “I do admire that.
“He believed in them. Now they’ve come through and they’re the reigning world champions for teams. Let’s hope he gets total payback.”
Lando Norris made Oscar Piastri ‘proud’ with statement in McLaren debrief
Norris has been branded the favourite for the 2025 title, and he’s telling himself he can do it. He’s previously spoken of his struggles with self-doubt, but he seems much more confident this year.
However, Norris has warned McLaren that it’s vital to make a strong start after the events of 2023 and ’24. He lost decisive ground to Verstappen last term before his first race win in Miami.
Piastri says Norris showcased the no-blame culture at McLaren during their end-of-season debrief. He took responsibility for lost points, rather than pointing the finger at his teammate.
That made the Australian feel ‘proud’. Under Andrea Stella, McLaren have arguably built a stronger team ethos than any of their rivals.
