Lando Norris is a Unique Champion

I’ve been watching Formula 1 since 2021. Lando quickly became my favorite driver. And, this year I had the pleasure of watching him become world champion. Watch the post-race interview and you’ll see why I like him so much.

He’s a different kind of champion than you’ll usually see. Max Verstappen is the prototype champion: aggressive, very technical, mean, not very nice, lacking subtly, and ultra-competitive. Think Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Tom Brady. ¹

Lando is more like Roger Federer, Stephen Curry and Joe Montana. He’s very smooth on the track and elegant in his craft as an athlete. He’s fun to watch. He’s an artist and a genius who brings joy to an otherwise repetitive and technical profession. He’s never out of control. Everything looks effortless, but you know it’s not. A lot of work and a lot of thought goes behind his success.

I like him also because I see a lot of myself in him. He’s hardworking, shy, introverted, and very private. He’s not a natural talent, but accomplishes a lot by being deliberate, smart and disciplined. He’s a late developer. He’s quirky and goofy, but well liked. He’s not aggressive, and he doesn’t like confrontation. He’s more conciliatory in personality. He’s less of an individual player and more of a team player.

He’s naturally a selfless guy. When he talks about winning the championship, he makes it clear that he enjoys sharing the win with everyone: his family, friends, team and his fans. He talks about wanting to make everyone smile and how that gives him the motivation to put in the hard work. He talks about how it took 1 million people to make him a champion. He is such an atypical athlete! I love it. So refreshing. A great role model. I wish more athletes were like him. He’s really a lot like Roger Federer in that regard.

Congratulations to Lando! ²