Lando Norris is indeed one of the best F1 drivers on the grid. However, he is yet to be the best from his own nation, as Lewis Hamilton is still active. This opinion was given by none other than the McLaren star himself, even though he hesitated for a few seconds before making this admission.
“Are you the best British on the current Formula 1 grid,” asked Craig Slater in a SkySports lie detector test on Norris. “Yes,” replied Norris, which turned out to be a lie on the test machine. Seeing his lie being caught, Norris changed his answer to “Lewis.”
Statistically speaking, Hamilton has a mighty lead over Norris, with the former already having 103 wins in his kitty. Meanwhile, Norris is yet to bag an F1 win. Moreover, Hamilton is rated among the greatest ever and is yet to lose his prowess.
On the other hand, Norris is still trying to find his peak, even though he is also heavily touted as a future F1 champion. But before he is labeled better than Hamilton even in the current space of time, he needs to back himself with results.
And that’s what Norris would be aiming to get with McLaren this year. If not, then he might start looking to give his services elsewhere even though he has a contract with the Papaya team ‘beyond 2025’.
McLaren needs to reward Lando Norris
Due to his exploits over the recent years, Lando Norris is one of the most sought-after drivers on the grid. Therefore, to further establish his merit, he needs to win. But under the current Red Bull dominance, picking up wins is far harder than before.
Only Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz has been the non-Red Bull driver to win a race since the start of last season. Thus, showcasing the gap between Red Bull and the rest of the grid. However, McLaren claims to have a better understanding of the regulations this year.
Thus, in the development race, they shall be nearer to their rivals as the season progresses. With that level of advancement, Norris can aim to bag a few wins. But for that, they also need to overcome the pace of Ferrari, who also seem to be on an equal footing, if not better.
In the ongoing Miami GP, McLaren came to Florida with new upgrades. With those, Norris can aim to have a strong result. But it’s unlikely by seeing their performance on Friday that Verstappen can be displaced from the top.
