Lando Norris has just named the four Formula 1 drivers he believes are "a level above" everyone else on the grid—and the list reads like a who's who of modern motorsport royalty.

The 26-year-old McLaren star knows a thing or two about elite performance. After a steady rise through the ranks, Norris clinched his first world title last season in dramatic fashion, edging out Max Verstappen by just two points in a nail-biting finale that went down to the final laps in Abu Dhabi. His teammate Oscar Piastri also stayed in the hunt until late, making it a three-way thriller.

Speaking to Sky Sports' Rachel Brookes for her new book F1 Racing Drive, Norris was asked which drivers truly stand apart. His answer was immediate and emphatic.

"Lewis, Max, Fernando, Seb—these are the people I grew up watching the most," Norris said. "They are always a little bit different, in their own little ways. They stood out that little bit more. And obviously, the results back that up."

The quartet he named is a collection of four world champions: Lewis Hamilton (7 titles), Max Verstappen (4 titles), Fernando Alonso (2 titles), and Sebastian Vettel (4 titles). Together, they account for 17 drivers' championships and countless iconic moments in F1 history.

Norris explained that he can only judge drivers he has raced against directly. "What I can't comment on is people I have never been against," he said. "I go off the people that I respect the most, and that's only people I've been against."

For fans of the sport, this endorsement carries extra weight. Norris himself has now joined that exclusive club of champions, and his respect for these legends shows the deep camaraderie and competition that defines Formula 1 at its highest level.

As the 2025 season proved, the gap between the very best is razor-thin—but according to the newest world champion, these four drivers have consistently operated in a league of their own.