“It doesn’t matter how good the car is”: Jackie Stewart on what makes Lando Norris a true champion

Three-time Formula 1 champion and motorsport legend Sir Jackie Stewart has offered his verdict on Lando Norris after the Briton secured his first drivers' title in 2025. 

Speaking at the Autosport Awards, where the McLaren driver was celebrated by the organisation, Sir Stewart was asked about how he rated Norris as a champion. 

“He’s a very stable young man,” he said. "First of all, he had a very good team and he had a very good technology team, particularly engineering. So the car was good.”

He was quick to caveat his comment, however. “It doesn’t matter how good the car is if the man doesn’t get the job done correctly,” he said. “He did get it correctly done.”

McLaren provided its drivers with a competitive package across the 2025 season, and Norris rewarded them with a strong performance across the majority of races. With a newfound belief in himself, he converted poles to wins, and fought off attacks from the likes of Max Verstappen and his own team-mate, Oscar Piastri. 

“He was very competitive for the whole season,” Stewart added. “And their staff, and being there as competitive as he is, it’s a good world championship.”

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 via Getty Images

F1 now sees a reset of the regulations for the 2026 season, one that introduces a powertrain which balances internal combustion and electric power. 

"The sport's better today than it's ever been in the history of the sport," Sir Stewart said on the changes coming this year. "So, of course, Formula 1 has always been leading the world in motorsport technology.

"So the new lifestyle, if you like, of this new year is not something completely new. But how strong it'll be, we'll have to wait and see."

Norris finished the 2025 season just two points ahead of Verstappen after the latter leveraged a surge in performance towards the latter half of the year. But an excellently safe drive at Abu Dhabi saw him clinch the win as he finished third under the fireworks of the Yas Marina Circuit.