The Rebirth of Lando Norris
The seaside city-state of Singapore has just witnessed the rebirth of a Formula 1 champion in the making: Lando Norris.
When Norris made his debut in 2019, his speed and child-like charisma were instantly recognised. With teammates more seasoned and experienced than him, until Oscar Piastri’s arrival, Norris often came across as the “little brother” of the paddock.
His rise coincided with Formula 1’s global boom, fuelled in part by Netflix’s Drive to Survive. The show’s fandom quickly embraced Norris as a sweet, approachable figure, and he became a fan favourite adored worldwide. But as everyone in F1 knows, being nice doesn’t win championships.
In recent interview seasons, however, Norris has shown flashes of a different side: sharper, tougher, more outspoken, even at his own risk. Yet until recently, that steely attitude was mostly confined to interviews.
On track, Norris still seemed to be unable to manage the pressures of being a top driver racing for prizes weekend in and weekend out.
Nevertheless, in Singapore, the Brit seemed to have taken a step forward in this regard. During his overtake on teammate and title rival Piastri, the Bristol-born driver didn't overdo it, nor did he undercook it either.
He went into the perilous territory. Turn 1 on lap 1 at Singapore is known to be, and with the bit between his teeth, he came out on top.
When asked on the radio if he would be willing to allow Piastri to come into the box first, Norris nearly scoffed at the thought. An obvious and resolute "no" was the answer.
After the race, when asked about his concerns regarding the potential consequences that Max Verstappen's distant yet undeniable presence in the championship fight may trigger at McLaren, the Briton didn't think twice about thrashing the question with a sequence of sarcastic comments.
Then Norris "is" already a world champion
Every world champion, by the time they’re crowned, has already become one within themselves. You can always spot the moment the transformation happens.
For Verstappen, for instance, one might argue his 2019 season was the awakening of the driver we know now. His wins in Austria with a late charge, Germany in the pouring rain, and Brazil with a strategic wheel-to-wheel masterful fight vs prime Lewis Hamilton put him on a different level.
What happened in Singapore was not a win, but it was a victory in another battle in the championship. And should the McLaren driver continue to take the gloves off and drive with a champion's aggression and authority, then we could agree that the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix proved to be the turning point in Norris' career.
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