IMPORTANT POINTS
- Lando Norris has taken four podiums this season
- He also secured his first pole position in Russia in Formula 1 in 2021
- He is currently fifth in the F1 2021 drivers’ championship
F1 2021 title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have a third driver to worry about – McLaren racing driver Lando Norris, who, according to McLaren boss Zak Brown, is on par with the duo.
Norris is one of the promising stars in this year’s F1 championship, has achieved four podiums and climbed to fifth place in the 2021 F1 standings with 149 points, one less than Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in fourth place.
At the Russian Grand Prix, Norris secured his first pole position. Although he couldn’t convert it into a win, he finished the race on the fastest lap of his name, which was his first of the season and the third fastest lap of his career overall.
“Lando first came on my radar in 2014. I think he can be counted among the best drivers now. He’s on par with Verstappen and Hamilton. Maybe not in terms of experience, but definitely in terms of that Speed, “said Brown in an interview with the Dutch media company De Telegraaf.
Norris, who first came to McLaren as a junior driver in 2017, made his F1 debut two years later. He has achieved five podium positions so far, four of them in the current season. Norris scored points in the first 10 races of the year before retiring in Hungary.
Earlier this year, Norris stated that he believes he is on par with Verstappen and Hamilton and all he needs is a car that can rival Red Bull and Mercedes.
“I want to say yes, but that doesn’t mean that I’m just better than any driver on the grid or something.” I just feel like I’ve been at a level with my season so far that is capable of racing and maybe one day to win a world championship, “PlanetF1 quoted Norris in an interview.
With five outstanding races in F1 2021, Verstappen is 12 points ahead of the top of the drivers’ standings.
“Maybe I’m not at the absolute level, but I feel like I’m doing a lot of things right and with a few small tweaks I can be a little more confident in my response. I’m at a level where I would say I could against Lewis or Max line up and – I have to be careful how I say it, don’t say I could beat them 100 percent – but I could give them a run for their money and I could make a good effort, ”added Norris in the same Interview added.
Lando Norris from Great Britain and McLaren F1 speak in the driver press conference during the previews before the F1 Grand Prix of France at Circuit Paul Ricard on June 17, 2021 in Le Castellet, France. Photo: Photo by Antonin Vincent – Pool / Getty Images
The next race is to take place on Sunday (November 7th) in Mexico.
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