Camille Naredo

World champion and race third-placed McLaren's British driver Lando Norris celebrates on the podium at the end of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi on December 7, 2025.

World champion and race third-placed McLaren's British driver Lando Norris celebrates on the podium at the end of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi on December 7, 2025. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)

Article (news)

Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix

Reuters Wires

Mentally fragile, too cocky, a privileged Gen Z kid bankrolled by a wealthy father, rapid but lacking the killer instinct that separates champions from the rest -- Lando Norris has faced plenty of criticism on his road to the top in Formula One.He has been booed by hostile crowds in parts of the world with different favorites, replying with a smile and wave from the podium, and taken flak for mistakes including colliding with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.The 26-year-old, who was world karting champion in 2013 and became Britain&#x27;s 11th Formula One champion since the 1950s with third place in Abu Dhabi on Sunday (December 7), has repeatedly made the naysayers eat their words.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2025/12/8/tearful-norris-completes-long-journey-to-become-f1-world-champion-0001">READ: Tearful Norris completes &#x27;long journey&#x27; to become F1 world champion</a></div>There are plenty of fired-up fans ready to defend their hero, although maybe not in Australia where questions have been asked and conspiracies raised about alleged McLaren favoritism of the Brit over local boy Piastri.Until last year&#x27;s Miami Grand Prix, social media keyboard warriors dubbed Norris &#x27;Lando No-wins&#x27; -- holder of the Formula One record for most podiums without a win (15) after finishing runner-up eight times in 110 starts.That matter dealt with, the focus turned to the McLaren driver&#x27;s inability to convert pole positions into victories -- a &#x27;fact&#x27; he buried this season by winning the Melbourne opener from the top slot.Of his seven wins this campaign, five have come from pole position.Norris&#x27; family background has come under scrutiny, with former karting rivals talking of how he enjoyed the best of everything.His father Adam&#x27;s fortune, from financial services, has been put at more than 200 million pounds ($264.72 million).That is not uncommon in motorsport, where the costs of rising through the ranks are immense, and there has been no questioning Norris&#x27;s speed and work ethic.In his early days at McLaren, after graduating from Formula Two in the same class as George Russell and Alex Albon, Norris could be found after races helping the mechanics strip down cars and pack up.His friendship with Red Bull&#x27;s four-times world champion Verstappen, forged in virtual racing and with a common bond of being the sons of Belgian-Flemish mothers, is another thing critics have latched on to as a sign that he was somehow in the Dutch driver&#x27;s thrall.Last year they clashed in Austria and Norris spoke of losing respect for the Dutch driver unless he apologised for a collision. Within days he had changed his tune and said an apology would not be necessary.Some saw that as a fatal weakness, but others see the ability to move on and reset as a strength.While he still publicly beats himself up for errors and missed opportunities, Norris is also perfectly capable of dishing it out to others.Norris has increasingly worn his heart on his sleeve, speaking out openly about mental health issues and becoming a role model as a new type of F1 driver far removed from stereotypes of old.Retired four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel was quick to identify that attitude as a source of strength rather than weakness.At the same time Norris and Piastri, both privately-educated in Britain, have pushed old-fashioned &#x27;play up and play the game&#x27; values of fair play and team spirit while simultaneously fighting for the title.Norris will never be a cartoon villain, one reveling in mind games and offering tissues for unhappy rivals to wipe their tears, and nor will he be an enigmatic Iceman or a champion tearing down barriers in the manner of Lewis Hamilton.The kid who grew up with Italian MotoGP great Valentino Rossi as his idol, and is now the driver with most starts for McLaren in the team&#x27;s history, has earned his success.<div>($1 = 0.7555 pounds)</div><div>(Production: Abdelhadi Ramahi, Alan Baldwin, Stefan Haskins)</div>

Lando Norris has faced plenty of criticism on his road to the top in Formula One.

Lando Norris has faced plenty of criticism on his road to the top in Formula One.

Lando Norris answers his critics with first F1 title

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Lando Norris answers his critics with first F1 title

Reuters

Published Dec 10, 2025 12:05 AM PHT

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