Norris adds another prestigious award to his tally after historic first F1 title

The reigning world champion has had the honour of adding another prestigious achievement to his collection, following the crowning moment of his career with last year’s title win in Abu Dhabi.

The Brit attended the ceremony, receiving the award from cyclist Chris Hoy and delivering a short speech to thank those who voted for him.

“Thank you very much. First of all, to you. An inspiration to me, to many around the world, to a lot of people in the UK. So even more special coming from you. But also to everyone at Laureus, the committee, the Academy, a very special award, one that means a lot to not just me, but everyone that I’ve been working with.”

Norris said it is very special to see his name alongside a list of nominees he grew up watching on TV, describing them as some of the most incredible, talented and record-breaking individuals in the world.

Speaking to McLaren’s website, Norris made it clear the team has no intention of shifting focus to 2027, insisting that approach rarely pays off. He admitted the start to the season has not matched expectations, but stressed there is still confidence in delivering a strong campaign and pushing for the championship.

Norris pointed to previous seasons where McLaren began on the back foot but recovered well, highlighting 2023 and 2024 as examples, and underlined that the team is now in a stronger position than it was back then.

He added that the experience gained in recent years has given the team the tools to turn things around again, even if it will require significant effort. While acknowledging they are not in a disastrous situation, Norris admitted improvements are needed to return to race-winning contention and ultimately build a car capable of fighting at the front every weekend.