Lando Norris collects trophy at FIA awards ceremony
Lando Norris officially collected his Formula One World Drivers’ Championship trophy at the FIA’s prestigious end-of-season awards ceremony in Uzbekistan alongside his model girlfriend Magui Corceiro on Friday evening, but was not able to keep hold of the award, reports BritPanorama.
The 26-year-old Englishman secured the title at last Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where a podium finish was sufficient to clinch his maiden championship. Norris ended the season just two points ahead of four-time world champion Max Verstappen and 13 clear of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
His victory makes him Britain’s first F1 champion since Lewis Hamilton claimed the title five years ago. He is the 35th driver overall to win the championship across 76 seasons of the sport.
The newly crowned champion was accompanied to the lavish ceremony by his girlfriend Magui Corceiro, a Portuguese actress, model and social media influencer. The pair coordinated their looks for the occasion, both dressed in black ensembles as they posed proudly alongside the championship trophy. Corceiro, who hails from Santarem in Portugal and commands a following of 2.4 million on Instagram, had also been present in Abu Dhabi to witness her boyfriend’s historic triumph.
Their relationship first emerged publicly in 2023, but the couple only confirmed they were together earlier this year. McLaren celebrated a double triumph at the gala, receiving the constructors’ championship trophy for the 10th time in the team’s history. The FIA only awards the trophy at its annual awards gala, which is held a week after the Championship concludes, to give teams the right to appeal any decision.
After the ceremony, Norris will have to give back the official trophy, but can order a replica of the award, as many drivers before him have done. CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella were on hand to accept the award, which the Woking-based outfit successfully defended from their 2024 victory.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, recently re-elected for another four-year term, presented the prizes during the ceremony. Oscar Piastri collected his trophy for finishing third in the drivers’ standings. Runner-up Verstappen was absent from the event due to illness.
The sterling silver trophy presented to Norris was originally commissioned in 1995 and bears the signatures of all 34 previous world champions. Norris’s own signature was engraved onto the trophy ahead of the ceremony, marking him as the latest addition to this exclusive group of title winners. The trophy will remain in the British driver’s possession until next year’s gala, when it must be returned to have the 2026 champion’s name and signature added. Norris has already confirmed he will race with the number one on his McLaren next season, a privilege reserved exclusively for the reigning world champion.
As the world of motorsport looks forward to the 2026 season, which is set to commence in Melbourne, Australia on March 8, Norris’s triumph serves as a reminder of how sport can elevate personal and national hopes alike. The sense of pride for a homegrown talent, however, is often intertwined with the high stakes of competition, further enriching the sporting landscape.
