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Dressed to the nines at the Autosport Awards, Lando Norris stepped onto the red carpet as a Formula 1 world champion for the first time. But while it would have been easy for the Briton to wax lyrical about his performance this year, instead he reflected on a moment with racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart in 2013.
Norris’s rise in the world of racing from a young junior racer to a grand prix winner and, ultimately, a champion, is well documented. But this journey saw the driver stand alongside Sir Stewart a decade ago, with the three-time champion saying at the time that he believed Norris could join him in the winner’s circle – something he was asked about in front of the cameras today.
“I mean, it’s crazy,” he said. “I actually, in the car here, I looked at the picture of me and Jackie back then,” before adding with a grin, “I’ve grown a bit more than what Jackie has.”
He continued: “I don’t know. I think then it’s so far away. Like F1 was, what, seven years away from there?” he explained. “And a world championship was what, like 12 years away from that?
“So I just keep trying, keep believing. I was never one to overly believe or give myself too much confidence about the future. But I kept trying, kept fighting and it turned out.
Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
“So I think that was the main thing: keep your head down, keep working hard and hope – it doesn’t always – but hope that it pays off.”
Norris fought hard against not only four-time champion Max Verstappen during last year’s F1 season, but also his own McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
With strong consistency towards the end of the season, he proved competitive in his potent machinery. And while Verstappen’s performance surged in the latter half of the year, Norris kept a calm head on his shoulders as he continued to bank points.
A third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – the last race of the season – confirmed his place in the history books, something Norris has fought tirelessly for since he joined the championship in 2019.
“ I have something to fight for, you know?” he said on the upcoming season. “To try and maintain my championship and maintain the number that I’m gonna have this year.”
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