Norris and McLaren: 2026 to make history

For the 2026 season, Lando Norris will take to the track for the first time in his career with the #1 printed on the nose of his McLaren. A number, as is known, reserved exclusively for the reigning world champion driver, with the Englishman’s aim being to reconfirm himself in a world championship full of innovations in terms of technical regulations. If he succeeded in this mission, Norris would become one of the few drivers from the Woking team to defend the title won the previous year. ‘Only’ three, before him, achieved a ‘double’. Who were they? The first, after the near victory in 1984 (always at the wheel of McLaren) was Alain Prost, who after the victory in 1985 repeated it in 1986. A success that made him go down in history not only for the double consecutive success with the English team, but also for becoming the second driver ever after Jack Brabham to reach a similar goal in F1. McLaren established itself as the team to beat throughout the second half of the ’80s and early ’90s, as also demonstrated by the heated rivalry that exploded between Prost himself and Ayrton Senna. The latter achieved his double success in 1990 and 1991, all following a success in 1988 and a controversial final in 1989, in that case resolved with Prost’s forfeit victory after the famous contact between the two teammates (an episode which also occurred in 1990 on the same Suzuka circuit, with Prost moving to Ferrari in the meantime). At the end of the ’90s, Finnish Mika Hakkinen, twice world champion in 1998 and 1999, brought McLaren back to the top step of the world. Not just drivers. 2025 was the year of Lando Norris, but also that of the English team in the Constructors’ World Championship, winning for the second time in a row after a long period of absence from the roll of honor that had lasted since 1998. Also in this special history, McLaren won consecutive world titles in the two-year period 1984-1985, and then even won from 1988 to 1991. Will the British company be able to achieve its hat-trick in the Constructors’ Championship in 2026?