Hot Wheels crowns UK’s tiniest F1 team principal

By Ashley Morgan 10/07/2026 3 min read 10 views

Hot Wheels has named the first UK winner of its search to find the world’s Tiniest F1 Team Principal. Eight-year-old George Norris won the competition, beating out other young fans with a video submission that impressed the judges. Despite sharing a surname with 2025 Formula 1 drivers’ champion Lando Norris, George is not related to the McLaren driver. The name connection didn’t hurt — the judges liked his creativity, race-day instincts, and enthusiasm for both Formula 1 and Hot Wheels.

The Tiniest Team Principal competition is open to children aged 5 to 10 who love Formula 1. The idea is to find the next generation of team bosses — think Andrea Stella or Toto Wolff, but much shorter. George was chosen by a panel that included Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali, 2009 world champion Jenson Button, Mattel’s Ted Wu, and Hot Wheels designer Kristina Albrecht.

As part of his prize, George and his family attended a VIP experience at last weekend’s 2026 British Grand Prix. The day included a chance to meet Lando Norris himself.

A video entry that stood out

Entrants had to submit a short video explaining their love for Formula 1. Judges scored them on creativity, race-day instincts, and overall passion for the sport and Hot Wheels. George’s entry ticked all the boxes. Wu, global head of vehicles and building sets at Mattel, said: “When we launched the search for our first Hot Wheels Tiniest Team Principal, we were looking for a kid who wasn’t afraid to think big, make bold decisions and bring plenty of imagination to the world of racing.”

He added: “George captured all of that from the moment we saw his entry. His passion, creativity and confidence made him a standout, and we can’t wait to see him step into the role and experience Formula 1 and Hot Wheels from the inside. The future of racing is in great hands.”

It’s not every day a child gets to call themselves a team principal, even a tiny one. The competition taps into something bigger: the overlap between toy cars and real racing has always been strong, and Hot Wheels has been leaning into that connection with its F1 die-cast line.

Designing a Hot Wheels car of his own

Along with the race-day VIP treatment, George received exclusive custom Team Hot Wheels race gear and the complete Hot Wheels F1 die-cast model collection. The biggest prize is still ahead: a trip to Hot Wheels headquarters in El Segundo, California, with his family. There, he will help design a one-of-a-kind Hot Wheels F1 die-cast car and contribute his own ideas for future vehicles.

George said: “I can’t believe I won! I absolutely love Hot Wheels because you can build really fast tracks and race all of your cars on them. At the same time, I’m obsessed with F1, it’s just so exciting. This is my first time at a Formula 1 race. It’s the best thing ever!”

Winners from the United States and Mexico will be announced in the coming weeks. For now, George Norris holds the UK title — and a memory that will be hard to top.