Whilst Max Verstappen has been busy smashing records with ease this season, Lando Norris matched a record of his own on Sunday at the Brazilian Grand Prix but not one he’ll want to write home about.
Norris finished behind Verstappen at Interlagos to claim yet another P2 finish to add to his rapidly growing podium collection for 2023, with the win just being out of reach for the Brit.
The McLaren driver has now claimed seven podiums this season, six of which have come in the form of P2.
Only Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso have made more podium appearances than Norris this season, an astonishing feat considering how poor McLaren were in the first half of the season.
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The Woking-based team’s impressive upgrades have allowed Norris to move onto 13 career podiums, matching the number achieved by ex-F1 driver Nick Heidfeld.
This isn’t a positive though, as Heidfeld holds the record for most podiums without a victory, a record he now shares with Norris.
Norris has reached 13 podiums significantly faster than the German, whose F1 career spanned 183 races.
The McLaren driver has claimed 13 podiums in just 102 races, meaning the 23-year-old is currently averaging a podium finish every 7.8 races.
2021’s Russian Grand Prix remains the closest he’s come to victory, as he raced the majority of the race comfortably before a strategic error saw him out on the circuit on slick tyres when heavy rain suddenly fell.
He obviously has the pace and the talent to become an F1 race winner, it’s just a shame for him that Verstappen and Red Bull are so dominant.
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Norris has two more chances this season to claim a maiden win, with the first coming next weekend at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which hasn’t featured on the calendar since 1982.
Should he finish on the podium in Las Vegas but not win, then the record for most podiums with a victory will become solely held by him.
Nevertheless, his recent form has seen him move into fifth in the Drivers’ Championship, with him now being just three points behind fourth-placed Alonso.