Lando Norris avoided joining an unwanted group of Formula 1 world champions by winning the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix. The reigning champion’s victory at the Hungaroring ensured that he would not complete the season without a win one year after claiming his first world title.
The result gave Lando Norris and McLaren a reason to celebrate following a complicated opening half of the campaign. It also arrived as McLaren began making a significant 2026 performance step after struggling to match the leading teams earlier in the year.
Lando Norris avoids a winless season as reigning F1 champion
Lando Norris had been at risk of becoming one of the drivers who failed to win a Grand Prix while defending the Formula 1 World Championship. That might appear to be an extremely rare occurrence, but it has happened several times throughout Formula 1 history, from the championship’s earliest years to the modern era.
By winning in Hungary, Lando Norris guaranteed himself at least one victory during the 2026 season and removed his name from a list that includes some of the greatest drivers the sport has ever seen.
Juan Manuel Fangio and Alberto Ascari went winless in the 1950s
Juan Manuel Fangio won five Formula 1 World Championships during his career and remains one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport. However, the Argentine failed to reach the top step of the podium as reigning champion in two different seasons.
The first occasion came in 1952, although Juan Manuel Fangio effectively missed the entire championship after suffering an accident at Monza during a Formula 2 race. The second came during his final season in 1958, following three disappointing appearances with Scuderia Sud Americana and Novi Auto Air Conditioner.
Alberto Ascari was another defining figure from Formula 1’s early years. After winning the World Championship in 1953, the Milan-born driver failed to claim a victory in 1954 despite competing for three different Italian teams: Lancia, Ferrari and Maserati.
Jack Brabham, Phil Hill and John Surtees struggled in the 1960s
The same phenomenon continued into the following decade, beginning with a driver who won world titles both as a competitor and as a constructor. Jack Brabham, a three-time world champion, endured a disappointing 1961 season with Cooper and recorded six retirements.
The following year proved somewhat more positive for reigning champion Phil Hill. The American Ferrari driver finished on the podium in each of the opening three races of 1962 but failed to secure a victory during the season.
John Surtees followed a similar pattern with Ferrari in 1965. The British driver could not win a Grand Prix during his title defence and remains the only competitor to have become a world champion in both Formula 1 and motorcycle Grand Prix racing.
Mario Andretti, Jody Scheckter and Nelson Piquet joined the list
Towards the end of the 1970s, Mario Andretti became the decade’s only reigning champion to complete the following season without a victory. The American, affectionately nicknamed “Piedone” in Italy, failed to win for Lotus in 1979 after claiming the 1978 World Championship.
Jody Scheckter suffered the same fate one year later. Following a disastrous 1980 campaign with Ferrari, the South African decided to retire from Formula 1.
Nelson Piquet also failed to win as reigning champion after moving from Williams to Lotus for the 1988 season. That campaign marked the beginning of a gradual decline for the British team and left Nelson Piquet unable to add another victory to his career total that year.
Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve endured difficult title defences
Damon Hill also left Williams immediately after becoming world champion. Driving for Arrows in 1997, Damon Hill came agonisingly close to securing his first victory of the season and what would have been the first Formula 1 win in the British team’s history.
The driver who succeeded Damon Hill as world champion was his former Williams teammate Jacques Villeneuve. Although Jacques Villeneuve remained with the Grove-based team for 1998, he had to contend with an uncompetitive car and failed to win a race throughout the season.
In more recent times, the run of four consecutive world titles achieved by Sebastian Vettel ended in 2014. The Red Bull driver went without a victory as Lewis Hamilton claimed the championship for Mercedes.
Retired Formula 1 champions are excluded from the statistic
The figures do not include drivers who retired from Formula 1 immediately after winning the World Championship. The first example was Jackie Stewart in 1973, followed by Nigel Mansell after his 1992 title and Alain Prost after becoming champion in 1993. Nigel Mansell later returned to contest selected races with Williams and McLaren in 1994 and 1995.
The same situation occurred with Nico Rosberg in 2016. The German retired shortly after emerging victorious from his intense internal championship battle with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
The most tragic cases were Jochen Rindt and Mike Hawthorn. Jochen Rindt lost his life at Monza in 1970 and became the first driver to be crowned Formula 1 world champion posthumously. Mike Hawthorn won the championship in 1958 but died the following year.
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