McLaren driver Lando Norris finished the final stage of Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi on the podium and became the new world champion. In the last race of the season, the Briton came third, losing to Max Verstappen from Red Bull and his teammate Oscar Piastri. But in the final standings, Norris maintained his lead - only two points separated him from the reigning champion.
This is the first time since 2021 that Formula 1 has seen a new title holder: the previous three seasons belonged entirely to Verstappen.
Lando was supported by family and friends at the decisive race - there were many in the stands who had gone all the way with him. Among them was the person without whom Norris's career might not have started.
Wealthy Family and Starting Opportunities: A Luxury Available to Few
Motorsport has always been an expensive hobby, but today the financial barriers are particularly high. Even four-time champion Sebastian Vettel noted that karting and junior formula series are becoming less and less accessible. For young talents, entry into the world of racing is virtually closed without major sponsors or a wealthy family. This was the case before - remember the patrons of Schumacher or Vettel himself - but now the sums have risen to absurdity.
In the UK, starting in karting is not just buying a used kart for $3-4 thousand. These are the costs of transportation, equipment, fees, accommodation, gasoline. For a child to participate steadily in tournaments, the family must be very wealthy.
Lando in this sense was in a privileged position. His father, Adam Norris, is an entrepreneur and multi-millionaire with a fortune of around £205 million. He made his capital on pension products and investments, and later opened his own projects - including a company for the production of electric scooters.
The parents did not limit Lando in his hobbies: first he was engaged in horse riding, then he became interested in technology. The father, who himself dreamed of racing, gladly supported his son.
Talent Multiplied by Money: How the Future Champion Was Formed
Adam Norris invested in Lando and his older brother Oliver almost without restrictions: he bought the best equipment, paid for trips and created ideal conditions for training. Already at the age of eight, Lando first took to the track, and very soon began to fight for podiums at the national level. At 15, he became the world karting champion - and crossed paths with Nikita Mazepin among his rivals.
But money didn't solve everything. When it came time to move to junior formulas, Adam Norris did not have connections in the right environment. He could pay the budgets, but could not ensure career growth on his own.
Then the family turned to Zak Brown, who at that time headed the JMI agency. Gradually, Brown became a key figure in the development of Lando's career, and when in 2017 he headed McLaren, Norris's path to Formula 1 became a logical continuation of cooperation.
At the same time, Lando always emphasized that he did not want to enter F-1 "by pull". However, the British press claimed that from 2017 to 2021 his father invested more than $44 million in the McLaren structure - the money went both to promote Lando and to support the team in difficult times.
Investments That Paid Off
Today it is obvious that the investments of the Norris family were not wasted. Lando became the world champion, received multi-million dollar deals and is among the highest paid pilots of the peloton - his salary is estimated at about $20 million per year. He himself is engaged in investments and has long been independent of his father.
But the main thing is that money helped him start, but did not make him a champion. In Formula 1, it is impossible to buy a victory in the standings. History knows many examples when "paid pilots" could not realize themselves even with a huge budget.
Norris has been striving for the title for seven seasons - and only this year he managed to make his dream come true.