Lando Norris had a breakout season in F1 in 2024. The Brit proved he could mount a title challenge with McLaren.
The Woking-based outfit have had a monumental comeback in F1 over the last 18 months. They have gone from arguably the slowest car in the field to the quickest – and Norris has used that to finally prove he is a future world champion.
The Brit secured four wins and eight pole positions in 2024 – the latter stat puts Norris among only three other McLaren drivers to achieve this feat.
Alongside teammate Oscar Piastri, Norris helped McLaren grab six wins and 21 podiums as they secured their first constructors’ championship since 1998. But despite the MCL38 being the finished car for most of the season, it was not enough for the 25-year-old to win the drivers’ title.
Norris missed out on Max Verstappen by 63 points after battling intensely with the Dutchman in the second half of the season. Despite his car’s advantage in pace, Norris made several costly mistakes that denied him the championship.
Nevertheless, the Brit proved he could fight for victories and claim them, which will spur him in good stead heading into 2025. Norris’ first win in F1 was met with huge praise all around the paddock.
Zak Brown received a message from Sebastian Vettel after Lando Norris’ first win for McLaren
The McLaren driver had to wait 110 Grand Prix starts to finally claim his maiden win. Norris took victory at the Miami Grand Prix – the race McLaren arguably proved they had the strongest package.
His win was slightly fortuitous given he was able to make a free pit stop under the safety car after Logan Sargeant and Kevin Magnussen crashed at turn three.
But while many expected Verstappen to blitz back past in his RB20, Norris held position and bridged a seven-second gap to claim the win. Martin Brundle was reminded of Ayrton Senna by Norris as his win was just as popular as the Brazilian.
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It was a momentous occasion for McLaren, with the win marking the team’s first victory since Daniel Ricciardo won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. In the latest season of Drive to Survive, CEO Zak Brown revealed he got messages from several F1 legends after the race.
Unsurprisingly, Red Bull did not write to Brown after Norris got the better of Verstappen. But he did receive a message from ex-Red Bull driver and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.
He said: “Yeah, Lewis sent me a nice note Lewis, Fernando, Vettel. Toto wrote me. Red Bull didn’t.”
Can Lando Norris win the world championship in 2025?
Norris will have learned a lot from fighting Verstappen in 2024 after their strong battles and collisions. H will be in a perfect position to challenge for the title in 2025.
McLaren are the clear favourites after pre-season testing, with the MCL39 proving considerably stronger than the Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull.
The Woking squad’s 2025 challenger features some extreme changes in their bid to win both titles. McLaren’s front suspension could cause reliability problems as the components could need bulking up, which in turn increases weight.
McLaren will need to take full advantage of the MCL39’s performance to win the drivers’ championship this year. This is Norris’ best chance to become champion before the new technical regulations come into effect in 2026 – it would be a disappointing failure if he cannot come out on top.
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