by Amelia Thynne
My father’s Hill Climbing events growing up always seemed like a bore to me, I would sit next to his car with my ear defenders on knowing full well my only intentions of attending was to try to wrangle a treat from the ice cream van at the end of the day. Being honest, this didn’t really change until I started tuning in to the religiously watched Grand Prix’s that were plastered on my TV almost every Sunday.
With my father working in Formula 1 himself, I knew the dedication and hard work he was putting in day in and day out to produce not only the car that whizzed past my sitting room’s TV, but what was also clear was the whole of McLarens team and drivers’ ethos and determination.
I found this particularly evident in Lando Norris, a young driver whose work ethic and commitment to McLaren and his ambitions around the paddock seemed to rarely go unnoticed, no matter which rival team you spoke to.
After joining McLaren as a junior driver in 2017, he claimed victory in the FIA F3 European championship and a year later finished in second to his rival and friend George Russell in the 2018 F2 season, proving to McLaren that he was worth that 2019 seat at the pinnacle of motorsport, Formula 1. However, the year coming didn’t come without its challenges, having to retire the car four times in his rookie year and finishing in the driver standings in 11th place.
📸 Lando Norris on podium in 2018 F2 Spanish GP.
Entering into the world of Formula 1, amongst the world’s best, caused Lando to be self critical, which I as an athlete myself related to and made me admire his determination to carry on pursuing his dream even more. For example, I found Lando’s commitment to his team throughout the ups and downs was admirable, especially in times where the team were not able to produce a car up to winning races.
Much like the start of the 2023 season , where for the first third of the season he was unable to produce a strong enough performance, causing him to finish 17th place four times. Despite this, Norris and the team improved impressively landing him a sixth place finish at the end of the year, his best season yet.
His choice to stick with the team through that time, ultimately proved to the world the dedication, loyalty and trust in McLaren and in which landed him his maiden win in 2024 at the Miami Grand Prix, overwhelming many with a sense of pride. This for me was such a pivotal moment in his career showing that staying faithful and empowering those around you will always bless you with results.
📸 Lando on podium in 2024 Miami GP.
This was also evident when he increased his standings from previous years to second in the WDC after a close battle with Red Bull driver Max Verstappen for the most part of the season, as well as notably helping his team finish 1st in the constructors for the first time since 1998. He has influenced so many young people, including myself, to get involved in motorsport and follow your dreams even when they seem near impossible.
📸 McLarens constructor winning photo 2024.
📸 Image credits: Sky Sports, BBC, McLaren.
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