Do we like them?

Do we like Lando Norris?

Our score: 7 out of 10. Nothing harmful found and real charity work, but a run of heat-of-the-moment blow-ups this season, and his record on LGBTQ+ issues is thin.

Lando Norris is the Bristol-born McLaren driver who went from karting prodigy to the 2025 world champion. He drove for McLaren through the whole climb, and in August 2026 he signed a new deal to stay until at least 2030. His own line on it: “McLaren is my home”.

His 2026 title defence started badly. The car wasn't as strong as it had been in 2025, and he had mechanical dramas, including a first career DNS in China and early retirements in Canada and Monaco. He then won in Hungary and the Netherlands, and sat fourth in the standings when the new contract was announced.

The stoush that got most attention was Baku. After a Turn 1 collision with Franco Colapinto, Norris told PlanetF1 the FIA should hand out bans, and called for a one-race ban for Colapinto. Argentina's Foreign Minister and ex-footballer Sergio Agüero piled on, mocking him over his own past collision with Piastri. The abuse and threats Norris copped from Colapinto's supporters were not on, and he said as much. He also apologised to Colapinto and admitted he'd been wrong.

Then came Singapore. He collided with Piastri on the last lap of the sprint, first defended the move, and after the race said “I let down the team” and that he should never have attempted it. Days later, club footage showed him and Ollie Bearman, with Norris shouting “Where's Lance?”, which Crash.net said appeared to mock Stroll. Norris hadn't responded in that report.

On the harm test, there's nothing nasty. No source I read had him pushing hate, conspiracies or culture-war grievance, and his sponsors are team-level deals, not partners who push harm. I can't point to much he has said on LGBTQ+ issues either way, so it's a clean sheet, not a ringing endorsement. His offences on the record are admin matters: McLaren was fined a suspended €5,000 after he turned up late to a Monaco press conference.

The good stuff is real. He backed the mental health charity Mind, with McLaren reporting £285,000 raised by October 2021 from charity T-shirts for Mind. In 2022 he committed to walk a lap of Silverstone for the One Lap for Mind fundraiser, with a prize draw to walk with him and Ricciardo. He said then that the one thing that makes him happy is seeing other people smile.