Damon Hill, the former Formula 1 world champion and current pundit, recently reacted to Lando Norris‘s remarkable progress as he edges closer to becoming the McLaren driver with the most Grand Prix starts. Norris, a British talent, began his journey with McLaren as a development driver and joined the team’s driver academy in 2017, steadily moving through the ranks.
Norris made his senior team debut at the beginning of the 2019 season alongside experienced teammate Carlos Sainz. Since his first race, he has demonstrated consistent improvement and is now a contender for a world championship with the iconic British team.
Chasing a Historic Milestone Amid Championship Contention
This season, Lando Norris played an instrumental role in helping McLaren secure their first Constructors‘ Championship since 1998, contributing significantly to the team’s resurgence. At the Qatar Grand Prix, Norris is positioned to surpass David Coulthard’s record of 150 McLaren starts, currently holding second place with 142 races under his belt.
The milestone is within reach as Norris needs just nine more starts to become McLaren’s most experienced driver in Formula 1. Fellow champion Damon Hill acknowledged this achievement on social media with a single word:
“Extraordinary.”
As the 2024 season progresses, Norris also pursues his maiden world championship. He trails his teammate and championship rival Oscar Piastri by just nine points, with ten races and three Sprint events remaining.
Lando Norris Reflects on His First Half of the Season
Looking back at the earlier part of the 2024 season, Norris admitted that he did not meet his own expectations before his win in Austria. Following his fourth victory in Hungary, he gave an honest assessment of his performance to F1.com, saying:
“[It was] not good enough, so in a harsh way, I would say I was pretty average before then. Since then, I think things have been a lot stronger. I still want more, still need to be a lot better, and I’m not as good as where I would like to be, but a lot of improvements have been made. I think I’m in a much better place, I’m happier with the car – things like that.”
Norris also shared that stepping away from social media earlier this year helped him focus on productivity, allowing for better preparation and progress.
“I’ve been working hard, but I can do a lot more than I have been doing, so, for that reason, just more of the progress that I have been making. Earlier in the season, Norris spoke of how he had been spending time off social media, a move that he felt had allowed him to ‘do things that are productive.'”
Closing the Gap in the Championship Battle
At one stage this year, Norris found himself 32 points behind Piastri in the title fight, but a strong run of form has narrowed the deficit to just nine points. Demonstrating resilience and determination, Norris has won three of the last four races, strengthening his bid for the championship and further proving his growing consistency with McLaren.
This combination of chasing records and fighting for the championship underscores why Norris is considered a key figure for McLaren’s future, as well as a driver to watch in the closing stages of this intense season.
