Out of the 34 drivers who have won the coveted F1 title in the 75 years of the sport, the likes of Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher are often quoted as the greatest drivers to have ever graced the storied rostrum of the sport.
Statistically, however, Schumacher stands above the late-great Brazilian with seven titles to his name as compared to Senna’s three.
Having said that, back in 2022, when the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo were asked to pick between them, both of them unanimously went for Senna. The reason may have been Senna’s allegiance to McLaren.
The Brazilian great had won all three of his F1 titles with the Woking-based team in 1988, 1990, and 1991.
When Michael Schumacher realised he had equalled Ayrton Senna for race wins in F1 pic.twitter.com/ERr8Lrgan6
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) May 1, 2024
In a video uploaded by ESPN F1 on YouTube, the duo were asked a series of questions where they had to pick one option over the other. Many controversial picks ensued, with the duo having to choose between the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, and Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The footballing debate also ended up in a unanimous win for former Real Madrid and Manchester United winger, Ronaldo. It was the same for the F1 GOAT debate with both the drivers choosing Verstappen over Hamilton.
When it came to their most iconic F1 Constructor, however, things got a bit tricky!
Despite sworn allegiance to Mercedes, Norris might land at Ferrari in the future
Norris was asked to pick between Mercedes and Ferrari, and the #4 driver was quick to pick the Silver Arrows. “Mercedes, because they power us,” he smirked referring to the second year of their deal to have Mercedes power units in the back of McLaren cars.
Ferrari’s lineage in the sport, however, is undeniable. The Prancing Horse stands as the most successful team in the history of F1 with 16 Constructors’ titles and 15 Drivers’ championships.
Naturally, when Maranello comes calling, not many drivers are able to refuse. Just ask Lewis Hamilton who chose to ditch Mercedes after 12 years and 14 titles (six drivers’ and eight constructors’).
McLaren CEO, Zak Brown himself is prepared to lose Norris to the iconic Italian team. “Most drivers, if not all, want to drive for that team at one point. Hopefully, not my guys [Norris and Oscar Piastri] anytime soon,” he had said.
Norris himself isn’t too averse to the idea. While defending Hamilton’s decision to switch, the #4 driver explained, “I’ll probably do the same if I was in his position. It looks cool, it’s an amazing story for him.”
