Zero podiums in the first three GPs as champion: Norris like Hamilton in 2009. And not only that…

No podium for Lando In the last GP that preceded this long spring break of F1 – imposed by the outbreak of war in the Persian Gulf – there was a partial resurrection of the McLaren team, after the difficulties experienced by the reigning world champion team in the first two GPs of the year. In Suzuka Oscar Piastri achieved a splendid second position under the checkered flag, after leading the Grand Prix for a long time, while Lando Norris – despite a difficult weekend affected by numerous technical problems – was still able to feel satisfied with his fifth place finish. Illustrious precedents In his first three races as world champion, however, Norris never managed to get on the podium, also thanks to the greater speed and reliability of rival single-seaters such as Ferrari and – above all – Mercedes. With his two fifths and a fourth place in three GPs, the Englishman from Bristol ‘unlocked’ a negative statistic that hadn’t been seen in F1 for 17 years and which featured one of Norris’ youth idols, as well as his compatriot: Lewis Hamilton. The current Ferrari representative, also a McLaren driver at the time, was in fact the last reigning world champion before Norris to miss the podium for the first three consecutive races. In Hamilton’s case, the abstinence in the 2009 season (the one following his first title won) lasted a long time, even until mid-season. However, it was interrupted in a special way with the victory in the Hungarian GP which paved the way for the last nine races of that World Championship in which the future seven-time world champion redeemed himself with two successes and five overall podiums. SeasonReigning world championFirst podium of the season2026Lando Norris (McLaren)after at least 3 GPs2009Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)10th GP2005Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)4th GP2003Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)4th GP (champion at the end of the year)1998Jacques Villeneuve (Williams)11th GP1997Damon Hill (Arrows)11th GP From then on, even decidedly unfortunate and disappointing title defenses – such as that of Sebastian Vettel in 2014 – still saw the title holder celebrate at least one podium finish in the first three GPs. Obviously Nico Rosberg, who after the title won in 2016 decided to hang up his helmet, is not counted in this statistic. Going back in time we also find the case of Michael Schumacher in 2005, off the podium in the first three GPs but then second in the fourth race of the year, in Imola. Schumacher had also missed the podium in the first three races two years earlier, in 2003: in this case, however, the Kaiser reacted in an extraordinary manner and at the end of the year he was able to celebrate his sixth career title, the fourth in a row. Before that, in 1998, it took Canadian Jacques Villeneuve 11 Grands Prix to regain a top-3 finish after the championship won the previous year in the infamous finale at Jerez de la Frontera. An English ‘curse’ Then there is a sort of curse that seems to concern the British world champions in the year following their first World Cup victory. In fact, no driver from the United Kingdom has ever won his first two career titles consecutively. Before Norris and Hamilton, then also Damon Hill, world champion in 1996 with Williams, had a nightmare first season as reigning champion at the wheel of Arrows: in his case the only podium of the season (a historic second place) came only in the 11th GP. Jenson Button is an exception in this sense: after the title won in 2009 he climbed to the top step of the podium already at the second GP of the following year, in Australia. At the end of the year, however, he too would have had to abdicate, finishing the World Championship in fifth place.