Pembrokeshire mentor recalls seven-year-old Norris as “one to watch from day one”
A FORMER Pembroke Dock man has been revealed as one of the earliest influences behind newly-crowned Formula 1 World Champion Lando Norris – adding an unexpected Pembrokeshire chapter to one of the biggest sporting stories of the year.
Robert Dodds, who grew up in Pembroke Dock before later moving to Poole, was Norris’s first coach at BKC Racing. He began mentoring the future McLaren star when he was just seven years old, helping shape the early foundations of a career that reached its peak on Sunday (Dec 7) when Norris secured the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship in Abu Dhabi.
Speaking to The Herald, Mr Dodds said Norris’s talent was obvious from the very first outing.
“There was something special about him from day one,” he said. “By the time he was eight, he was already as quick as the 10–12-year-olds. He just had this will about him – he wanted it.”
Pembrokeshire link to a global success story
Dodds coached Norris for four years, guiding him through kart setup, technique, and competitive racecraft. He says he remains “immensely proud” that his own Pembrokeshire roots now form a small part of the world champion’s rise.
“Ten or fifteen years ago he was sat in the front of my van as we drove to tracks,” he said. “Now he’s flying around the world racing in Monaco. It’s incredible how far he’s come.”
That early development included a fierce sibling rivalry with Norris’s older brother, Oliver – something Dodds believes accelerated his progress.
“Because of that rivalry, his pace shot up. He wanted to beat his brother – and then he wanted to beat everyone.”
BKC Racing has produced other top talents too, including 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Phil Hanson, further underlining the pedigree of the team that helped launch Norris’s career.
The moment a champion first stood out
Dodds still recalls an early test at Clay Pigeon Raceway, where a seven-year-old Norris completed a lap in 39 seconds – a benchmark usually achieved only by much older cadet racers.
“He came past me with his thumb up – this tiny kid doing senior cadet times. That was the moment we knew.”
Norris seals his first world title
Norris made his Formula 1 debut in 2019, claimed his first podium in 2020, took pole position in 2021 and secured his first Grand Prix win in Miami in 2024. His 2025 campaign saw him take multiple victories before clinching the world championship in Abu Dhabi, becoming the first British driver since Lewis Hamilton to lift the title.
Pride back home in Pembrokeshire
Motorsport fans across the county followed Sunday’s title decider closely, with many celebrating the unexpected local connection.
A local F1 fan who watched the race in a Haverfordwest pub told The Herald:
“Everyone here was proud of Lando – and hearing that one of his early coaches came from Pembroke Dock makes it feel like Pembrokeshire had a tiny part in his journey.”
Dodds, who continues to mentor young racers today, says Norris’s success is already inspiring the next generation.
“It’s like something out of a film. I’m proud of what he’s achieved – and proud to have been part of the journey.”
For Pembrokeshire, the story adds a local footnote to a global sporting triumph – and a reminder that world champions sometimes start out much closer to home than anyone realises.
