Years Ago, Lando Norris Was Tipped to Be the Next Lewis Hamilton- What Held Him Back From Living Up to the Honor?

Imagine being a young British driver and getting compared to the greatest British driver, scratch that, the greatest driver of all time? McLaren has had their fair share of British heroes. James Hunt springs to mind and so does Lando Norris, but more importantly, Lewis Hamilton.

In 2019, a young British up-and-comer stormed onto the scene as he finished 8th on the grid in his first ever Qualifying. Fast forward two years and Lewis Hamilton remarked during the Austrian Grand Prix “such a great driver, Lando.”

But even before the undisputed GOAT of Formula 1 recognized Norris‘ talent, comparisons between the two were already being made. Speaking to ITVNews before the 2019 British Grand Prix, Norris was asked about his views on being dubbed the next Lewis Hamilton’.

“I think it is a good thing,” said Norris. However, he was quick to contextualize the entire situation. “I’m not like Lewis,” quipped the Briton before adding, “When Lewis got to Formula 1, he was in a winning car. I am not. But that’s our goal.”.

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Hamilton and Norris’ career trajectories have been quite different. However, they’ve still battled hard against each other. Unsurprisingly, Norris has been able to stand his ground.

Lando Norris’ memorable 2021 battle against Lewis Hamilton

One of the greatest displays of defensive driving we’ve ever seen was at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. After having a minor incident behind George Russell, Hamilton slid off at Piratella. On a recovery drive, he finally came up to Norris.

What ensued was a lap-after-lap of Hamilton hounding Norris and the McLaren star holding his ground against the 7-time World Champion. After the race, with Norris finishing on the podium, he revealed his exchange with Hamilton. “I tried, I tried! Tried holding you off, Lewis. I tried, I tried”. 

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Lewis Hamilton may be nearing the end of his Formula 1 career. But he still is considered to be performing at his peak. Given how Norris has been consistently showing his class, it is only natural that comparisons between the two British drivers are made time and again. Will we see more Hamilton v/s Norris battles in 2022?