Nico Hulkenberg is one of F1’s most experienced drivers at the moment, having made his debut back in 2010. Despite that, has failed to win a race, or finish in the top three throughout his career. Compared to him, McLaren’s Lando Norris took his 10th career podium in the recently concluded Japanese Grand Prix in spite of making his debut in 2019. His P2 finish in Suzuka also means that Norris broke one of the disgraced records held by Hulkenberg.
Lando Norris joined Formula 1 back in 2019 with the British team and managed to hit the ground running from the very get go. Given he joined the sport in a midfield team, he never really struggled much to finish in the points.
However, his haul of points made him eclipse a record that is one of the least desirable feats an F1 driver could ask for. Given how big a star Norris is, he would not have wanted such a record for sure.
What record did Norris break that belonged to Hulkenberg?
Previously, Hulkenberg held the record of claiming the most number of points in F1 without winning a race (530). He had this record under him after having 200 race entries since making his debut at the 2010 Bahrain GP.
After the podium at Suzuka last weekend, Norris overtook the German driver’s record of 530 with 18 fresh points thanks to his P2 finish. Therefore, with 543 points, he is the new record holder, for this rather underwhelming feat, as pointed out by RaceFans.
However, Norris has an advantage where he claimed more points than Hulkenberg despite taking part in less than half of the races. The McLaren driver has 98 race entries, which is 102 races less than the Haas star.
Can Lando Norris take a win anytime soon?
Coming into 2023, McLaren made a lot of improvement, especially in the latter stages of the season. Despite starting the season in a dismal state, the Papayas have begun to solidify themselves as the second-best team after Red Bull.
Even though they are far behind in terms of Championship points due to their poor start to the season, having a win in 2023 might not be a far cry for him. If not this year, Norris will be looking to become an F1 race winner in 2024, for sure.
Therefore, if the 23-year-old can claim a win any time soon, the record will go back to Nico Hulkenberg once again. Therefore, Norris will be hoping that his name on this particular record is temporary.
