Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Lando Norris’ first Formula 1 world championship has pushed him into a different level of recognition, with the McLaren driver winning the 2026 Laureus World Breakthrough Award and earning a place on TIME’s 100 most influential people list.
Both honors were built on Norris’ 2025 title run, which he sealed at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after holding off Max Verstappen’s late charge. Norris won the championship by two points after a season that also featured a three-way fight with teammate Oscar Piastri, and one account of the campaign says he overturned a 34-point deficit with nine races remaining before deciding the title in the final race.
The Laureus award put Norris in rare Formula 1 company. He became the sixth F1 driver to win the World Breakthrough Award and the first since Nico Rosberg in 2017, joining previous winners Juan Pablo Montoya, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Daniel Ricciardo. Norris beat João Fonseca, Désiré Doué, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luke Littler and Yu Zidi after a selection process that began with more than 1,000 sports media members from over 70 countries and ended with voting by the Laureus Academy.
Speaking at the Laureus ceremony, Norris said the recognition carried weight well beyond racing. “This night was really special. I managed to win the Laureus World Breakthrough Award, one of the most prestigious awards an athlete can win,” he said. He thanked “everyone who voted for me,” the Laureus nominations panel, McLaren and his personal team, adding that everyone who had been part of the journey deserved to share the award.
TIME then reinforced the scale of Norris’ rise by naming him one of its 100 most influential people of 2026. He was placed in the magazine’s Innovators category and was the only current Formula 1 driver on the list, which also included U.S. President Donald Trump and Pope Leo.
Norris’ entry was written by Paris Hilton, who said she first met him at the Miami Formula 1 race and was immediately struck by his energy. Hilton wrote that while Norris is “obviously incredibly talented,” what makes him stand out is “his kindness, his authenticity and his humility.” She called his 2025 title “fully deserved” and said his relationship with fans is part of what sets him apart because “he takes the time to connect with everyone.”
That combination of championship success and wider public appeal is what has changed Norris’ standing. A driver who ended 2025 as Formula 1 world champion is now being recognized not just as the man who beat Verstappen and Piastri, but as one of the few figures from the paddock whose influence now reaches far beyond it.