Lando Norris nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year
Newly crowned Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris has been shortlisted for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. The McLaren driver is nominated alongside five other British sports stars, with the winner to be decided by public vote in December.
Fresh off his first Formula 1 world championship, McLaren's Lando Norris has been nominated for the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. The British driver is among six contenders for the public-voted honor, capping a landmark season where he solidified his status as a motorsport superstar.
Why it matters:
The SPOTY nomination is a significant cultural milestone in a British driver's career, often seen as the ultimate recognition from the nation's sporting public. For Norris, it represents full arrival as a mainstream sporting icon beyond the F1 paddock, following in the footsteps of British racing legends like Lewis Hamilton, Jackie Stewart, and Nigel Mansell who have previously won the award.
The details:
The BBC unveiled a diverse six-person shortlist for its 2025 award, celebrating what BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski called "a breathtaking year for sport." Norris joins England footballers Hannah Hampton and Chloe Kelly, rugby union star Ellie Kildunne, teenage darts sensation Luke Littler, and golfing great Rory McIlroy as nominees.
- Norris secured his championship with a calculated third-place finish at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, finishing behind Max Verstappen and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
- The result made him the 11th British F1 world champion and the 35th title-winner in the sport's history.
- The award has been a staple of British sporting culture since 1954, with the public choosing the winner during a live televised ceremony.
The big picture:
Despite the UK's rich Formula 1 history, SPOTY victories for racing drivers have been relatively rare. Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, and Nigel Mansell have all won, while Damon Hill and Lewis Hamilton have each claimed the trophy twice. Norris's nomination comes at a time of surging F1 popularity in Britain, bolstered by his own devoted fanbase drawn to his on-track prowess and off-track personality. His championship season transformed him from a prodigious talent in waiting to Britain's newest motorsport superstar.
What's next:
The winner will be decided by public vote during the live BBC broadcast on Thursday, December 18. Norris faces stiff competition from athletes who have also delivered defining moments in 2025. Whether he can secure enough public votes to join the exclusive club of British racing drivers who have won SPOTY remains to be seen, but his nomination alone marks a career highlight in a championship-winning year.