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Zak Brown loves that Lando Norris has now silenced his critics over widely scrutinised F1 stat

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Lando Norris now ranks 36th in the all-time F1 record books for Grand Prix wins with nine, yet McLaren CEO Zak Brown loves what ‘no one’ says about his driver anymore.

The 25-year-old scored his latest victory last Sunday, as Norris beat his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to win the Hungarian Grand Prix by only 0.698 seconds. It was also his fifth win of the 2025 F1 season so far after also tasting glory in Australia, Monaco, Austria and Britain.

Norris is yet to win at the same circuit more than once, but he may do so next time out after the summer break at the Dutch Grand Prix on August 29-31. The Briton won at Zandvoort in 2024, following his debut F1 race win in Miami and before wins in Singapore and Abu Dhabi.

Winning the Hungarian GP for Norris’ ninth career victory put the Bristol-born ace level with Mark Webber in 36th in the record books. He also now has more wins than Daniel Ricciardo, Charles Leclerc and Piastri (8), as well as F1 champions John Surtees and Jochen Rindt (6).

McLaren driver Lando Norris celebrates winning the 2025 F1 Austrian Grand Prix from pole position
Photo by Andrea Diodato/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Zak Brown loves that ‘no one’ says Lando Norris cannot win from pole position anymore

McLaren CEO Brown even believes Norris’ wins in Australia, Monaco and Austria this season have helped the Briton silence the scrutiny he regularly faced for not being able to win from pole position. The 13-time Grand Prix polesitter has now won five times from P1 on the grid.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

RACEFINISHING POSRACE WINNERGAP TO WINNER
2021 Russian Grand PrixP7Lewis Hamilton+87.224s
2023 Sao Paulo SprintP2Max Verstappen+4.287s
2024 Spanish Grand PrixP2Max Verstappen+2.219s
2024 Hungarian Grand PrixP2Oscar Piastri+2.141s
2024 Dutch Grand PrixP1Lando Norris+22.896s to P2
2024 Italian Grand PrixP3Charles Leclerc+6.153s
2024 Singapore Grand PrixP1Lando Norris+20.945s to P2
2024 United States Grand PrixP4Charles Leclerc+20.354s to P2
2024 Sao Paulo Grand PrixP6Max Verstappen+31.372s
2024 Abu Dhabi Grand PrixP1Lando Norris+5.832s to P2
2025 Australian Grand PrixP1Lando Norris+0.895s to P2
2025 Monaco Grand PrixP1Lando Norris+3.131s to P2
2025 Austrian Grand PrixP1Lando Norris+2.695s to P2
2025 Belgian Grand PrixP2Oscar Piastri+3.415s
Lando Norris’ F1 pole position record

Many F1 fans were stunned that Norris failed to lead after the first lap from his first six pole positions, including five Grands Prix and one F1 Sprint. The 25-year-old first took pole at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix and next started from P1 on the grid for the 2023 Sao Paulo Sprint.

Brown has told BBC Sport: “The ‘he can’t win from pole’ stat, now that he’s won four or five races from pole, no one seems to be talking about that.”

Lando Norris has converted 46% of his 13 Grand Prix pole positions

Norris lost the lead of the 2021 Russian GP to Carlos Sainz at Turn 2. He even lost the lead at T1 in the 2023 Sao Paulo Sprint to Max Verstappen, the 2024 Spanish GP to George Russell and the 2024 Hungarian GP to Piastri, plus off the line in the 2024 Dutch GP to Verstappen.

Piastri overtook Norris on the opening lap of the 2024 Italian GP, as well, after the Australian utilised the slipstream out of the Rettifilo chicane to get the lead in the Della Roggia chicane. Losing the lead to his McLaren teammate also saw Charles Leclerc push Norris back into P3.

But, since F1 visited Monza last September, Norris has won from pole position in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Australia, Monaco and Austria. He also won the 2024 Dutch GP last August after re-passing Verstappen for the lead at the Red Bull driver’s home Grand Prix on Lap 18 of 72.

Norris did not win from pole at the 2024 United States or Sao Paulo Grands Prix or the 2025 Belgian GP. Piastri used his slipstream to pass Norris on the first lap at Spa in July, giving the Briton a 46% conversion rate. Melbourne native Piastri has converted three of his four poles.