McLaren’s Lando Norris is impressed with Verstappen’s performance this year. The British driver is full of praise for Max Verstappen, whom he considers to be one of the most talented drivers the world of Formula One has ever seen, as the Dutchman heads towards a highly likely second world title this year. Norris feels that Max Verstappen’s performances are similar to Lewis Hamilton in his hay day.

Max Verstappen is the current leader of the 2022 F1 World Championship with a very comfortable lead of over 100 points over Charles Leclerc, with only six races remaining. This weekend at the Singapore Grand Prix, Verstappen will have his first match point and could well be crowned a second time in his career at the end of the 17th round of the year.

Max Verstappen’s performance this year has impressed many in the paddock, including McLaren driver Lando Norris who believes the reigning world champion is more than worthy of a second consecutive world title.

“He’s taken every opportunity”

“He has done an incredible job, he is very impressive. It’s similar to what Lewis [Hamilton] has been able to do in previous years when you have a car that can perform and win races, he’s taken every opportunity,” Norris told Sky Sports.

“Even in FP1, FP2 or FP3 he is never under the limit. He always pushes the limit. In EL1, on his first lap, his lap times are sometimes faster than what we do in qualifying. He is one of the most talented drivers to ever join Formula 1. He is one of the fastest. No doubt he will win a second title this year, and he will certainly win more in the future.”

As for his own chances of one day fighting for his first F1 world championship, Lando Norris knows that patience is often required for a driver to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

“Sometimes you have to know that you might not win for one, two, three, five or ten years. Your opportunity might even come in twelve years or something like that,” the McLaren driver insisted.

“It’s frustrating, because sometimes you feel you deserve more. It doesn’t matter how hard you work and so on, you have guys who can have an easy race, relax for the whole race and win it, and then there’s you sweating and having the hardest race of your life and finishing eighth.”

“I don’t have any grudges against anyone else, because they probably deserve to be in that position. You just have to have faith that in a few years, or a few races, you’ll get your chance.”

Max’s mate

A long term friend of Max Verstappen from his karting days and more recently online racing, Norris followed his friend into Formula 1 was contracted to drive for McLaren for the 2019 Formula One World Championship, partnering Carlos Sainz Jr. He qualified eighth on his debut at the Australian Grand Prix and finished the race in twelfth place. He scored his first Formula One points by finishing sixth at the following race, the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Norris finished his debut Formula One season eleventh in the drivers’ championship with 49 points. Teammate Sainz scored 96 points, however Norris out-qualified Sainz at eleven of the twenty-one races.

For the next season in 2020, Norris ended the season ninth in the drivers’ championship with 97 points, eight points behind Sainz, for 2021 he finished his season in sixth place in the standings beat new McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo, but lost out to former teammate Sainz of Ferrari by just 4.5 points in third.

In February 2022 Norris signed a contract extension with McLaren that will see him be with team until at least 2025.

Prior to the Singapore Grand Prix, Lando Norris is seventh in the World Drivers’ Championship with 88 points scored so far this season.

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