Lewis Hamilton singles out two F1 rivals for special praise ahead of British GP

Lewis Hamilton shows off his impressive surfing skills

Lewis Hamilton has named Mercedes team-mate George Russell and McLaren rival Lando Norris as the two drivers he is most excited about in terms of their futures in Formula One. Russell has firmly established himself as one of the grid’s finest talents since making his F1 debut back in 2019, with the man from King’s Lynn beating Hamilton in the standings at the end of his debut Mercedes campaign last year.

Norris, meanwhile, has been widely tipped as Hamilton’s potential long-term successor at Mercedes after excelling with McLaren since joining the Woking-based outfit four years ago. Hamilton has since put Russell and Norris forward as the most exciting talents in the paddock, with the man from Stevenage eager to see what the future might hold for the duo further down the line.

“It’s not passing the baton, but knowing we have other great British drivers will prolong the success of the Brits moving forwards,” Hamilton told Sky Sports ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

“Our fan base will always have good drivers [to cheer for] because we generally develop good drivers in the UK. George and Lando are both incredibly talented and have such a bright future ahead of them. It’s crazy to think they are as young as they are. Lando is 23 but has been here for ages. I’m excited to watch their journey and where they get to.”

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It comes after Norris admitted that he has been trying to learn as much as possible from Hamilton, who he battled with at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix before crossing the finish line ahead of his Mercedes counterpart. The young Brit explained that although he tries not to ask Hamilton too many questions, he is still gaining a valuable insight into what it takes to be a champion by examining the 38-year-old’s mindset.

“I have so much respect for him and what he’s been able to achieve in F1,” said Norris. “He’s part of the reason I’m an F1 driver, so it’s weird thinking I’m now racing against him.

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“I am not always the guy who asks a lot of questions to these kind of people to get to know what they’re like and what they think,” said Norris. “I do it in a more subtle way and just try to understand how they think and their thought processes and kind of understand what makes them special.

“I’m not always the most proactive in going forward and picking people’s brains, which is maybe a better way of doing it, but it’s just not who I am. I’m just happy to spend time with people who are at the top of whatever sport they are in, people I have a huge amount of respect for.”

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