McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown faces a multi-million-pound payout to star driver Lando Norris after the Brit secured the 2025 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship, fulfilling his side of a unique and expensive gentleman's agreement.
The Championship-Clinching Deal
When Lando Norris crossed the finish line in third place at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he did more than just seal the 2025 title. The 26-year-old from Bristol became the 11th British driver to win the F1 world championship and McLaren's first champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2008. Crucially, he also activated a personal bet with his team boss.
The deal, first revealed in 2024 during Norris's initial title fight with Max Verstappen, was simple. "I've got a deal with Zak that if I win the championship, he has to get me a car," Norris explained at the time. "I've specified which car. We shook on it." After finishing 63 points behind Verstappen in 2024, Norris and McLaren dominated in 2025, with the driver pipping his rival to the crown by just two points, making the bargain binding.
The Million-Pound Dream Machine
While initially secretive, Norris later revealed to fans that his dream car is a Pagani Zonda, a legendary hypercar with a price tag often exceeding £1 million. This presents a particular irony for Brown, as it requires the McLaren CEO to buy a vehicle from a rival brand for his champion driver.
Should Brown honour the handshake deal, the Zonda will join an already impressive collection in Norris's garage. The new champion already owns iconic models including a Ferrari F40, a McLaren 765LT Spider, and a Lamborghini Miura.
Norris isn't the first F1 great to covet a Zonda. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton owned a custom Zonda 760 LH for seven years before selling it in 2021, citing environmental concerns. That specific car was later involved in a serious crash in the Penmaenbach Tunnel in Conwy, Wales in 2023, leaving the purple supercar destroyed.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As Brown prepares his chequebook, Norris's focus will soon return to the track and defending his hard-won title in 2026. He will face immediate pressure from within his own team, with teammate Oscar Piastri determined to recover from a late-season collapse that cost him a shot at the 2025 championship.
Reflecting on his title-winning campaign, Norris highlighted his growth. "When I look at this season compared to my first two years in F1, this year has been head and shoulders above," he stated. "Ultimately, whilst the end result is not quite what I wanted, there's a lot of optimism and a lot of strength that I've gained from proving to myself what I can achieve."
For now, however, the spotlight is on Zak Brown and whether a handshake deal made in the heat of a title battle will result in a Pagani Zonda being delivered to the door of Britain's newest Formula 1 world champion.
