Lando Norris and George Russell have completed a large portion of their racing journey together, battling all the way through the junior categories before entering Formula 1 in the same season.
While Norris earned an exciting move to a podium challenging McLaren following an impressive Formula 2 season, F2 champion George Russell was forced to settle for a seat at the back of the grid with Williams.
Russell has recently admitted that he found his first few years in F1 tough to handle, as he was never in a car capable of challenging Lando Norris or Alex Albon, despite proving that he can beat them in F2.
Despite his three years fighting at the back of the grid, Russell has tasted F1 victory before Norris, who came ever so close to his maiden win at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix, only to be caught out by ever-changing weather conditions.
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Russell’s maiden win came last season in Brazil, picking up Mercedes’ only victory in the season in his debut season with the Silver Arrows.
Even though he has not yet been able to taste victory in F1, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has backed Norris to get the better of Russell this season, claiming that machinery aside, he is one of the fastest drivers on the grid.
“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 told ESPN.
“He wants to be winning races, I’m sure he knows he can beat George and he has beaten George before… and he goes out and wins.
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“He’s going to be anxious people he’s raced with don’t get too many more wins before he starts getting his.”
Brown is confident of leading McLaren in an upwards trajectory over the next few seasons, with the team’s new technology having the potential to make them title contenders.
While a title charge for Norris may be a couple of seasons away, the Brit will be hoping that he can spend 2023 in and around the podium places, picking up his first win in Formula 1 along the way.