The 2021 Russian GP had arguably the toughest result for Lando Norris to take, as he missed out on what could have been his maiden race win. Still, the moment he made the self-destructive call of not pitting for wet-weather tires, Norris was keeping a close eye on Lewis Hamilton, who was chasing him from behind.
Speaking on the High-Performance podcast in 2022, the Briton revealed, “I am going round and on the straight, I am like – ‘What is he going to try and do now? What has he understood, what’s he learned over the last 20 years?'”
“[How is] that he is going to outsmart me? Is it the battery, is it the tires, is it the engine mode?’ Is he going to try and pull back to try and make me feel I’m comfortable and then pounce and have a go”.
Hamilton has been an idol for many drivers, including Norris. The fact that he was the McLaren driver’s compatriot made this chase even more special.
Still, Norris did not give the seven-time World Champion a free pass whenever he dueled with him. He insisted that during his biggest battles with Hamilton (Austria and Russia 2021), the latter chasing him not intimidate him.
Lewis Hamilton passes Lando Norris in the final laps of the Russian GP.
(: @TSN_Sports) pic.twitter.com/uCb7leTU7F
— theScore (@theScore) September 26, 2021
Unfortunately in Russia, the young Briton could not make the right call when the heavens opened up in the dying embers of the Grand Prix. Hamilton, in P2, dived into the pits as the track got wet, as did almost everyone else on the grid. Norris, meanwhile, stayed out to avoid losing track position, wary of losing out on his lead.
However, that was the undoing of all the good work he did throughout the race. The McLaren driver’s MCL35M slid off the track shortly thereafter, handing Hamilton the lead and eventually, his 100th race win.
The relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris
Lando Norris has a lot of respect for Lewis Hamilton, but his comments about the 39-year-old have often been misconstrued. Norris once said how Hamilton was ‘obviously’ going to win a race because he was driving a Mercedes.
At first, it seems like Norris was hinting at the fact that Hamilton was winning only because he was driving the most dominant car (at the time). But the Bristol-born driver did not mean it negatively, as he revealed on the podcast.
He cited how he had nothing to gain by making a mocking or negative comment about Hamilton or Mercedes.
Hamilton too, didn’t make a big deal out of it. He is on very good terms with Norris and they are quite respectful of each other on the track. After Norris won his maiden Grand Prix in Miami two weeks ago, Hamilton was one of the first to congratulate him.
They may have some racing incidents that cause nervy moments in the future. However, it is highly unlikely that Hamilton and Norris’ relationship will deteriorate as a result of on-track battles.
