Lando Norris has insisted that it’s impossible to try and replicate what Lewis Hamilton achieved in the first five seasons of his Formula 1, given that the pair found themselves in very different situations during their rookie campaign alone.
When the seven-time World Champion entered F1 at McLaren in 2007, the Woking-based side were one of the strongest teams on the grid, making victories a possibility.
Hamilton went onto win his sixth F1 race at the Canadian Grand Prix, which also represented his sixth consecutive podium in his debut season.
With the exception of 2022 and 2023, the 38-year-old has always had a car capable of challenging for victories, allowing him to amass 103 wins across his 17-year career in the pinnacle of motorsport.
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In the first five years of Norris’ F1 career, the Briton simply hasn’t had a car at his disposal which had the capability of winning a race, with the exception of 2021.
When Norris made his debut at McLaren in 2019, the British outfit were a midfield side, with his first rostrum having not come until the 2020 season-opener in Austria.
Whilst the 23-year-old has claimed several podiums since securing his first in 2019, an F1 win continues to elude him.
Had he pitted sooner for Intermediate tyres at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix then Norris would arguably be an F1 race winner, but he’s certainly had far fewer opportunities to challenge for victories compared to the first five years of Hamilton’s career.
As a result, Norris doesn’t think the start of his and Hamilton’s careers can be compared, given that the veteran had a stronger car from the get-go.
“I think the hard thing for me in general with stats is there are certain ones I maybe like more than others,” Norris told Motorsport Week.
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“If it’s got anything to do with wins and stuff like that I respect it when that time comes. I respect it in general, but it’s no target of mine.
“I’ve done five years already not being able to win a race because I’ve just not had the car to do so. Comparing to other people, you know, they’re in different situations – Lewis came into McLaren when they were winning races.
“So if anyone asks me, ‘are you trying to do what Lewis did?’ I’d go ‘no,’ because you can’t – it’s just not the same. I’m just trying to do my own stuff and maximise what I can do myself.
“When that time comes of ‘you’re now matching these guys’ or ‘you’ve got 30 wins,’ then I think that’s when I see it as a huge achievement to be alongside these people because I respect everyone that I race with, race against, and who has raced.”