Lando Norris once snubbed Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen when naming his F1 dream team

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Lando Norris has spent his entire Formula 1 career competing against Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, but an icon from F1’s past would make his all-time dream team.

The Briton made his F1 debut for McLaren in the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, while Hamilton was starting his 13th year on the grid and Verstappen was kicking off his sixth season. Norris came P12 on debut in Melbourne, as Valtteri Bottas won ahead of Hamilton and Verstappen.

Norris had to wait a few more seasons to fight his compatriot and the Dutchman, but he has since been one of their main rivals. Norris blew his first chance to win a Grand Prix in Russia in 2021 after battling Hamilton, and he first fought Verstappen for the drivers’ title in 2024.

McLaren also saw Norris beat Verstappen to win his first F1 drivers’ title in 2025, as only two points separated the pair after 24 rounds. Norris also dethroned Verstappen from the top of the F1 drivers’ standings after 1,029 days when he won the 2025 season-opener in Australia.

Lando Norris once named Jackie Stewart as his dream F1 teammate

Norris winning the 2025 drivers’ title was the cherry on top for McLaren, after their back-to-back constructors’ titles in 2024 and 2025. McLaren have reaped the rewards from the work that Andrea Stella has done to transform their success since becoming their team principal.

READ MORE: Lando Norris’ first F1 drivers’ title in 2025 was defined by seven key moments

Norris has long admired what Stella and McLaren CEO Zak Brown bring to the table, having named them as his dream team bosses back in 2024. But Norris would look to F1’s past for his dream teammate in Jackie Stewart, who lifted the drivers’ title in 1969, 1971 and 1973.

“I’m very happy with Zak,” he told the F1 website. “I mean he’s team boss. Obviously, team principal is still Mr Stella. But as a boss, Zak is good, and he’s a golfer, too. When your boss says, ‘Do you want to go and play golf?’, it’s like, ‘Ahh’.

“Drivers? Jackie Stewart. I love Jackie, so I’d pick Jackie Stewart. And I want to drive alongside Jackie, so I’ll pick myself!”

Jackie Stewart won F1 titles against Jacky Ickx, Ronnie Peterson and Emerson Fittipaldi

Norris is not the only current F1 driver who holds Stewart in extremely high regard. George Russell named Stewart for his Mount Rushmore of British F1 drivers in 2025 with Hamilton, Nigel Mansell and James Hunt. Stewart made 99 Grand Prix starts between 1965 and 1973.

READ MORE: Zak Brown removed McLaren’s ‘arrogance’ issue to build a winning F1 team

Scottish legend Stewart recorded 27 Grand Prix wins, 17 pole positions and 43 podiums. He also won the 1969 F1 title with 63 points over Jacky Ickx on 37, the 1971 title with 62 points over Ronnie Peterson on 33 and the 1973 title with 71 points over Emerson Fittipaldi on 55.

Fittipaldi rates Stewart as the “toughest” driver he faced in F1, during a career that also saw the Brazilian share a track with Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Bruce McLaren, Mario Andretti, Hunt and Niki Lauda. Fittipaldi beat Stewart to win the 1972 F1 title with 61 points over 45.