F1 enters The Lando Era

Welcome to the Lando Norris era of Formula One. The words of McLaren team boss Zak Brown at the start of the season proved to be prophetic, although not without drama and controversy along the way. The stellar performances of Oscar Piastri, especially in the first half of the year, and Max Verstappen, whose impressive fightback carried the hallmarks of a four-time champion, were flies in the ointment of Lando’s title bid. But McLaren’s wunderkind held steadfast in his approach and won the 2025 title with a maturity that has cemented his position as one of the sport’s biggest assets. He needed third place. He delivered third place. No theatrics, no panic, just a focused, clinical delivery that rewarded him with F1’s biggest prize. 

Norris will now deploy the prestigious #1 on his car in 2026 as Formula 1 itself enters a brand-new era with sweeping regulation changes. Commercially, Norris is one of the world’s most marketable athletes. SportsPro listed him 41st on their annual top 50 earlier this year – notably behind Ferrari’s duo of Lewis Hamilton (1st) and Charles Leclerc (25th) – but make no mistake, Lando’s stock is now up there with the greats. As one of just 35 drivers ever to have taken an F1 world championship, he has made history. That carries serious weight. Just watch the LN1 merchandise fly off the virtual shelves.

Lando has contributed significantly to F1’s meteoric rise in recent years. He is a personality just as much as a racing driver; he connects on a deeper level with his fans in a way that few have over the years. His advocacy of mental health matters, his honesty, his humour, his style, and yes at times his awkwardness – he is an incredibly relatable champion. His post-race emotions and celebrations have been seen the world over and remain uniquely Lando. “Lifetime of work went into this hangover” he wrote under his celebratory images in Instagram. It’s genius because it’s authentic. And that’s what makes him such hot property. 

At Performance Insights, we work regularly with F1 champions and race winners who know what it takes to achieve success on the world’s fastest stage. Their stories translate seamlessly into business parlance – teamwork, risk management, pinpoint precision, high performance, relentless pursuit of excellence, dealing with failure – brands the world over recognise the relevance of Formula 1 as a sport – all underpinned by the characters that build the stories week in, week out.