McLaren’s Lando Norris is driving in his sixth full-time season in Formula 1. Along the way, he’s secured 15 podiums for the team, and the unwanted record of having the most podiums without a race win. In the past, the Briton has been criticized for his experience and yet failing to win in the sport. Now, Christian Hewgill, on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, defended the 24-year-old by citing the under-powered machinery he’s been dealt with for the entirety of his F1 career so far.
Although, he did agree that at least on two occasions Norris probably threw away potential Grand Prix wins – the 2021 Italian GP and the 2021 Russian GP.
Hewgill explained, “He’s never had the quickest car in Formula 1. So, it’s not like you [can] say, ‘Well, he should’ve won races. So, I think Lando’s capable and McLaren are capable.'”
As David Croft explained, during the 2021 Italian GP, the Briton was under team orders to not attack Daniel Ricciardo. However, the Grand Prix at Sochi was probably the one that Norris let get away. He was leading the race until the very end when it started raining. It was his decision to stay out on slicks on a wet track that cost him the race win to Lewis Hamilton.
As a result, the #4 driver currently is the only driver in the history of the sport to have 15 podiums to his name but no Grand Prix wins. This unwanted record was previously held by German, Nick Heidfeld who had 13 podiums to his name without ever winning an F1 Grand Prix.
McLaren are ready to help Lando Norris win in 2024
The problem Norris has had, as pointed out by Hewgill, was a lack of a competitive package in the past. However, in 2024, the Woking-based team are looking like an outfit who, on pure performance, are the second-fastest car on the grid.
What’s more, the Briton has already secured two podiums for the team this year. And performances like the one Norris put during the 2024 Chinese GP have boosted his confidence in believing that his team is getting closer and closer to Red Bull.
Speaking about his race in China, Norris reiterated, “I said it at the beginning of the year that I think we can fight against Red Bull and we’ll be able to get a win this year,” as quoted by Sky Sports. Naturally, it is only a matter of time before Norris stands on the top step of the podium for the first time in his F1 career.
The upcoming Miami GP would be the first event where Norris would be hoping to make such inroads into Red Bull’s gap. The team are looking to bring their first upgrade package to the event, and the team hopes to not only unlock pace from the MCL38 but also address some of its niggling tire degradation issues with these updates.
