Lando Norris became the first new world champion since Max Verstappen in 2021, and former F1 driver Marc Surer has explained why the sport needed it.
Although his Red Bull wasn’t quite at its 2023 levels, Verstappen still produced an incredible comeback after the summer break, putting pressure on Lando Norris and making McLaren sweat.
He clawed back a 104-point deficit to the top of the standings after Zandvoort to miss out on the title by just two points.
But Norris proved he was a worthy champion. He’d also had to fight back in the standings, overtaking teammate Oscar Piastri at Suzuka before holding off Verstappen’s late push down the stretch.
Marc Surer explains why Lando Norris being crowned champion was ‘good for Formula 1’
Marc Surer spoke to Formel1.de about several talking points from the 2025 season, including how the championship concluded.
F1 journalist Kevin Scheuren compared Norris to 2009 champion Jenson Button, a comparison that Surer fully agreed with.
The 74-year-old said: “So the comparison with Jenson Button is absolutely right. We have a world champion that everyone likes. He is a great presence. He is always laughing, he is friendly to everyone.
“So he is good for Formula 1. And let’s be honest, after the series of victories from a Hamilton or a Verstappen, we are glad that there is finally a new world champion. And he is a great presence.”
Norris had previously expressed frustration over Verstappen’s dominance in F1 early in the 2024 season.
The Briton described it as “boring” after Verstappen won the Chinese Grand Prix by nearly 14 seconds ahead of him.
The similarities between Button and Norris aren’t limited to their personalities either – both drivers helped push Honda-powered teams into title contention before going on to win their first championships with those same outfits.
One of Michael Schumacher’s most impressive F1 records remains after Lando Norris title win
Lando Norris’ championship also means that Michael Schumacher remains the only driver in Formula 1 history to win five consecutive titles.
Max Verstappen has taken down several of Schumacher’s long-standing records, but stringing together five straight championships might be the toughest task of them all.
Schumacher put together an unmatched run at Ferrari from 2000 to 2004, and Verstappen was just three points away from matching him. It would have put the Dutchman in a class all by himself, even above Lewis Hamilton and Ayrton Senna.
There have been other moments when Schumacher and Verstappen’s careers have been compared. One that stands out is Schumacher’s dominant 2002 season against Verstappen’s run in 2023.
Both years rank among the most commanding seasons ever seen, with Verstappen holding a slight edge over the seven-time champion when you adjust for today’s points system.
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