Not a one-off: Hill sees multiple world titles for Norris

Damon Hill knows a thing or two about what it takes to climb Formula 1’s summit — and, more importantly, what it takes to stay there.

And when the 1996 world champion looks at newly crowned title winner Lando Norris, he doesn’t see a one-hit wonder. He sees the start of something much bigger.

Fresh from Norris’ dramatic 2025 championship triumph, Hill believes the McLaren driver’s breakthrough could open the floodgates for a multi-title reign in the years ahead.

The Briton sealed his first world championship in Abu Dhabi with a measured third-place finish, holding off a ferocious late charge from Max Verstappen to clinch the title by just two points.

It was a tense, high-stakes finale – and one that cemented Norris’ place in F1 history. For Hill, that first title changes everything.

“He’s done it and there’s a lot of comfort that comes from that,” Hill told the Stay on Track podcast. “He will be able to, to some degree, relax. It’s a question of the amount of avarice you have to win.”

Hill pointed to history – and to one of F1’s most relentless champions, Michael Schumacher – to underline his belief that success often breeds more success.

“I always thought when Michael won one, two, three, four, five championships, he’d had enough, but then he went on to win one or two more,” Hill said.

“Some people, it propels them to go on to win multiple championships. I definitely think Lando’s got more than one in him. I think he’s probably got three or four.”

It’s lofty praise – and a clear signal that Hill believes Norris has both the talent and the mindset to become a serial champion, not just a name on the list.

A Rivalry Brewing at Home

While Verstappen pushed Norris all the way to the wire in 2025, the next great challenge may come from much closer to home.

Norris finished the season ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, who led the championship for large stretches before falling just short.

Hill expects the intra-team battle to intensify – and fast.

“The question is, will Oscar, because he’s in the same team with Oscar, and Oscar did not exactly underperform,” he said.

“There were moments when he dropped out last year. He will go through the winter and think, 'OK, what do I have to do to patch up those little holes in my performance?'

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“He will find out how to stop that happening again. They've both been through a title fight with themselves and Max at the end. They will have learned massively from that.

“It will be a strong pairing, but there will be more determination within the team from Oscar to stop Lando beating him again.”

For Norris, the challenge is clear: defending a title is never easy – especially with a hungry, highly capable team-mate sharpening his knives.

But if Hill’s instincts are right, 2025 may be remembered less as a peak… and more as the beginning of Lando Norris’ era.

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