Forward of his fifth season in F1, Zak Brown has likened Lando Norris to the type of star participant NFL franchises construct their groups round.
“Lando’s a franchise driver,” the American tells ESPN. “Lando’s a kind of guys… if we put everybody in a mud buggy and we put all of the F1 drivers in a race, he’d be on the entrance as a result of he is acquired that type of pure expertise.
“He is a complete star,” he provides, “and he is pushing us.”
Coming into F1 in 2019 with McLaren, Norris completed his maiden season eleventh, and over the subsequent couple of years progressed to ninth after which sixth, earlier than slipping again to seventh in 2022, although this was extra in regards to the brief comings of the automobile at his disposal insists Brown, who believes Norris to be a greater driver than up to date George Russell who scored his maiden win final season.
“He desires to be profitable races,” says Brown, “I am certain he is aware of he can beat George and he has crushed George earlier than.
“He will be concerned folks he is raced with do not get too many extra wins earlier than he begins getting his.”
Requested if he considers Norris to be among the many finest on the market, Brown is in little question.
“Unbelievably quick,” he responds. “He pulls it out in qualifying on a regular basis. He can put a lap collectively. He not often makes errors, and when he does they’re very small. It is, ‘he missed the apex, he locked a brake’, however you do not see him sticking it within the fence.
“His race craft is de facto robust now. If I have a look at 12 months one, he was slightly too well mannered on monitor at occasions. Now he is somebody you possibly can race arduous with and he’ll race you arduous, he is clear however he is arduous, he will get his elbows out. He can handle tyres very nicely.
“I feel he’s pretty much as good as anybody on the grid and I’ve felt that from day one, after I put him in opposition to Fernando (Alonso) within the (2018) 24 Hours of Daytona, international automobile, international monitor.
“Fernando is pretty much as good as any F1 driver there’s ever been, and Lando matches him, and relying on what time of day it was, perhaps he even acquired him slightly bit, and vice versa.
“You see that pure expertise. You do get some drivers who’re a one-make self-discipline and also you throw them in a novel state of affairs they usually do not stand up to hurry as rapidly.”
