Lando Norris ‘matches’ Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton

Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo at 2022 McLaren launch

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Lando Norris is as “good as anyone” on the F1 grid and “matches” some of the sport’s greats such as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, according to Zak Brown. The McLaren team principal suggested Norris is on a par with double world champion Alonso, who he says is as good as any driver in the sport’s history.

He praised Norris for being able to convert his talent to different disciplines of reading after impressing in sportscars before. Norris and Alonso were partnered in the showpiece Daytona 24 Hours event back in 2018 where the Briton was hailed as “impressive” by the F1 legend.

Brown told ESPN: “I think he is as good as anyone on the grid and I’ve felt that from day one when I put him against Fernando in the 24 Hours of Daytona, foreign car, foreign track. I think Fernando is as good as any F1 driver there’s every been… and Lando matches him, and depending on what time of day it was, maybe he even got him a little bit, and vice versa.

“You see that natural talent. You do get some drivers who are a one-make discipline and you throw them in a unique situation and they don’t get up to speed as quickly.” Norris starred in 2022 as he beat experienced team-mate Daniel Ricciardo a staggering 17 times.

The 23-year-old picked up just one podium all season due to McLaren’s struggles to get on terms with the leaders. The British manufacturer slipped behind Alpine in the Constructors’ Championship but still sees this as a transition period before future success.

The team’s new wind tunnel is set for completion in 2023 which the team hopes will radically transform their ambitions. Norris has previously stated the team has “no excuses” not to perform from 2024 once the new infrastructure is ready.

Despite his success, Norris is yet to secure his first win after narrowly missing out at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix. But, Brown has warned he has the tools to beat his rivals to achieve his goal of winning races.

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He added: “Lando’s a franchise driver. Lando’s one of those guys if we put everyone in a dirt buggy and we put all the F1 drivers in a race, he’d be at the front because he’s got that kind of natural talent. He’s a total star, and he’s pushing us.

“He wants to be winning races, I’m sure he knows he can beat George [Russell] and he has beaten George before… and he goes out and wins. He’s going to be anxious people he’s raced with don’t get too many more wins before he starts getting his.”

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