Lando Norris was part of Formula 1’s 2019 rookie class alongside George Russell and Alex Albon. He went straight into one of the sport’s most prestigious teams in McLaren.
Norris always looked like a star in the making. He cracked the top six in just his second Grand Prix and bagged his first podium at the start of year two.
It took until 2024 for the Englishman to bag his first win – by that point, he held the record for most podiums without a victory – but four more have followed since. He’s also reached double figures for pole positions.
While Norris relinquished the championship lead to McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri following the last race in Saudi Arabia, he still has an excellent shot at winning the title this year.
Max Verstappen sits at the forefront of F1’s late-1990s generation, but Norris is looking to beat George Russell and Charles Leclerc to the biggest prize. He’s a benchmark for F1 teams bringing through young talent.
Zak Brown taunts Alpine over the success of Oscar Piastri
Speaking on The Race F1 podcast, Zak Brown explained McLaren’s driver model. Norris was partly developed in-house, having joined the junior team in 2017.
But after McLaren paid off Daniel Ricciardo, burning a hole in their wallets, they perused the market. Rather than targeting another proven Grand Prix winner, they instead looked at young talent.
Piastri was on Alpine’s books but he was frustrated that they’d left him on the sidelines for 2022 after his Formula 2 title win. The Enstone outfit announced him as a driver for 2023, replacing Fernando Alonso.
However, it emerged that Piastri had already agreed to join McLaren. This led to an extraordinary legal battle, with Brown defeating counterpart Otmar Szafnauer.
“Lando we brought up through the ranks, Oscar we identified as the next Lando,” Brown said. “They [Alpine] kind of dropped the ball there. Thank you Otmar.
“We were able to bring Oscar on board, and he’s done a fantastic job. We have two unbelievably competitive drivers.”
Zak Brown names the new F1 driver who reminds him of Oscar Piastri
Piastri may have a higher ceiling than Norris, having reached the same tally of five wins in 82 fewer Grands Prix. Granted, the Australian has reaped the benefits of a rebuild that long predated his arrival.
But Piastri has made a leap over the winter and Norris is currently finding it hard to cope. For instance, the Briton won the qualifying head-to-head 21-3 last season, but now he trails 3-2.
Piastri has vowed to be ‘super positive’ about the McLaren car, unlike the brutally honest Norris. Many feel he’s more resilient than his teammate, even if he lacks the same ultimate pace for the moment.
Brown has been impressed with Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes’ newest signing, and sees similarities with Piastri. Indeed, it may be ‘a year or two’ before he starts to display his full potential.
