Formula One drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, had some pretty exciting battles throughout the 2023 season. Moreover, McLaren was really a surprise package of the year. Albeit they didn’t start well. In fact, initially, Aston Martin looked like it would be the surprise package of the season. However, they could not hold on to the great start they had in the first half of the season.
Later, in the second half it was McLaren that came up with impressive upgrades. Since then, Norris and Hamilton had fought several times for the second place finish in certain races. Anyway, the two British drivers will look to battle it out next year to be the bigger threat for Max Verstappen. Recently, Lando Norris mentioned how much he admires Lewis Hamilton.
Lando Norris Feels The Mercedes Star Was Amazing This Year For An Old Guy
Both Norris and Hamilton had many close finishes this season. Things really took an interesting turn when McLaren came with the new upgrades ahead of the second season. Lando Norris looked even faster than Lewis Hamilton several times in the second season. Moreover, Hamilton seemed impressed with the MCL60’s upgrades, too. Lately, in an interview, Lando Norris mentioned it feels weird to compete with his hero growing up. Adding to that, Norris mentioned Hamilton was the guy he watched on TV and admired him. Albeit it feels weird to race against him, the 24-year-old driver has a lot of respect for the Mercedes driver.
Also, Lando Norris added that it is amazing to see Hamilton compete at this level, even though he is old now. Now, every fan is wondering if the young McLaren driver and the seven-time champion can end the hegemony of Max Verstappen. For two years, there has been Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s complete domination. Back in 2021, the season was quite competitive, as Red Bull and Mercedes both had pretty solid cars. However, that has not been the case in the following years.
Who’ll Be A Bigger Threat For Red Bull’s Max Verstappen In 2024?
Clearly, Red Bull’s RB19 inspired the B-spec version of the MCL60. Moreover, McLaren went on to perform better than the rest of the teams except Red Bull in the second half. They were even very close to the pace of the RB19 car in Silverstone. However, the McLaren side could not beat Red Bull. But they had a number of P2 finishes and several podium finishes in the second half. Even after the season was over, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen mentioned McLaren impressed him the most in 2023 with their progress. The three-time champions feel Lando’s team can be a real challenger next year.
Now, the question remains if Mercedes or McLaren can beat Red Bull for the title next year. They might try to beat Red Bull in at least one or two races, like Ferrari was the only team to beat them in 2023. Moreover, the only race the Austrian outfit didn’t win in 2023 was the Singaporean Grand Prix. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz faced a tough challenge from Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton as well as George Russell. Anyway, the Spaniard ended up winning the Singaporean GP. But Hamilton and Norris ended up on the podium behind the Ferrari driver.
