Lando Norris is a Formula 1 champion and one of the most popular drivers among the series’ fans, but there is a lot more to know about who the Briton is behind the visor.
The Bristol-born star has built a massive fanbase over the years through his open personality and immense ability behind a steering wheel. Norris has regularly been very open about his mental health struggles, and he proved in 2025 that nice guys can win by sealing the F1 title.
Critics often used Norris’ harsh self-criticism as a stick to beat him with, but he proved them wrong by dethroning Max Verstappen as the F1 champion. Norris broke Verstappen’s run of four consecutive titles by just two points in 2025 to hand McLaren their first title since 2008.
Norris has remained loyal to McLaren throughout his F1 career to date, having debuted with the Woking-based team in 2019 after two years in their driver academy. He made his debut in the 2019 Australian GP, and he later earned his first Grand Prix win in the 2024 Miami GP.
But there is a lot more to know about Norris, so HITC has taken a look at five things you may not know about the Briton who grew up in Glastonbury and later moved to Monaco in 2022.
Lando Norris holds dual British and Belgian citizenship
Norris races in F1 with a British licence, as he was born in Bristol, England on November 13, 1999. His dad Adam Norris is also British, but Lando has dual citizenship through his Belgian mother Cisca Norris. Lando has three siblings, with brother Oliver plus sisters Flo and Cisca.
Lando Norris was obsessed with riding a lawnmower as a child
A Formula 1 car is Norris’ office today, but his first experience of driving a vehicle of any kind came on a lawnmower as a kid. Norris even became obsessed with driving the lawnmower, even though he did not weigh enough to start it himself and needed to use 10kg dumbbells.
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“It was a lawnmower,” Norris told the F1 website in 2024. “I used to drive the lawnmower. I used to go out and cut the grass every day, just so I could drive the lawnmower.
“But there was like a weight limit to start the engine, so I had to always go to the gym and get the 10kg dumbbells, which were basically a third of my bodyweight back then.
“I had to put them on the seat with me, then sit on them, to allow me to actually start it and drive it. So, it all started on a lawnmower.”
Valentino Rossi fan Lando Norris loved MotoGP before he was interested in F1
Norris started his racing career in go-karts in 2008 and enjoyed a vastly successful career en route to Formula 1. But Norris’ first passion in motorsport was for two wheels, rather than four, and MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi quickly cemented his love for bike racing as a kid.
“Initially, what got me into Valentino was just his colours,” Norris told the official F1 website back in 2023. “I was probably only five-years-old at the time, and when you’re at that age, it’s hard to like anything for a reason other than it looked cool!”
Norris added: “That was when I was five – I didn’t even know what a go-kart was until I was seven – and that’s when I had a quad bike, and then I had a motocross bike. It definitely got me interested in motorsport.”
Lando Norris has founded his own go-karting brand, LN Racing Kart
Norris has used his status and success in Formula 1 over the years to also venture into other industries, including founding Quadrant as an esports team and apparel brand back in 2020.
Also, in 2021, Norris founded LN Racing Kart with support from the OTK Kart Group to offer young racers an opportunity to compete around the world with the best karting equipment.
Lando Norris loves mayonnaise on his food
While Norris manages his diet to keep in good shape, he loves mayonnaise on his food. The F1 star also cites chips with mayonnaise and Belgian chocolate as two of his favourite foods.