Norris takes NZ Toyota Racing Series title

MSA Formula champion Lando Norris claimed a second car racing title on Sunday by taking the Toyota Racing Series crown in New Zealand.

The 16-year-old Briton held a comfortable advantage going into the Manfeild finale, having taken five race wins earlier in the season. He was able to put the championship beyond his opposition's reach with a fourth place in the second of the weekend's three races on Sunday morning.

Norris then rounded off his campaign in style by leading the season-closing New Zealand Grand Prix race throughout.

Double Brazilian Formula 3 champion Pedro Piquet, who is heading for a European F3 campaign with Van Amersfoort this season, was Norris's closest rival heading to Manfeild, but his title hopes effectively ended in an early tangle with GP2 racer Artem Markelov in Saturday's opener. Other frontrunners in the 2016 TRS season included Force India Formula 1 team academy member Jehan Daruvala and Ferrari protege Guan Yu Zhou.

Norris will contest the Formula Renault Eurocup and NEC with Josef Kaufmann Racing and non-clashing BRDC Formula 4 race with Carlin this year. He follows in the footsteps of F3 racer and Williams F1 development driver Lance Stroll as TRS champion, and is the first European title-winner.

The series has, along with India's MRF Challenge, become a popular way for drivers from European junior single-seater championships to keep race-sharp during the off-seasons in their main campaigns.

Other past champions include GP2 race winner Mitch Evans and recent Prema European F3 signing Nick Cassidy, who both took two titles in their home country's leading domestic racing series.

Originally on Autosport.com