Red Bull Content Pool
General
Norris as good as Verstappen and Hamilton? Seidl thinks it's a tricky one
- GPblog.com
Andreas Seidl finds it difficult to say how Lando Norris compares to Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren team boss is impressed with Norris' performance, but whether that makes him as good or better than the two top drivers who competed for the World Championship this year is hard for him to say.
Comparison Verstappen and Hamilton
Seidl is asked by Formel1.de if Norris is on the level of Hamilton and Verstappen. He initially skirted around it a bit but he stated that his British pupil has an excellent 2021 behind him in which he excelled in qualification and races. Moreover, Norris has also developed a lot on a personal level.
What is beyond dispute, according to Seidl, is that Norris confirmed last year that he has what it takes to become a very big driver in Formula 1. The 46-year-old German warned, however, that the material has to be up to the task. Because the material last year was also certainly not equal, Seidl also does not dare to say at this time that Norris is as good or perhaps better than the numbers one and two of the 2021 World Championship.
McLaren wants to go to the top
Lando Norris is contracted until 2024, which means that we will see the 22-year-old driver driving in papaya orange for at least another three years. With the new regulations being introduced this year, there are opportunities for McLaren to take the final step towards the absolute top in the pinnacle of motor sport. Seidl believes his team is on the right track and says he hopes the Norris-McLaren combination will be capable of great things in the coming seasons.
Andreas Stella, racing director of McLaren, knows where Norris and his employer need to work if it is to seriously compete with Red Bull Racing and Mercedes in 2022. According to the top man, it is mainly about finding more consistency in putting down top performances: outliers must become the norm.