F1 World Champion Compares Lando Norris To Max Verstappen - "Super Talented"
Mika Hakkinen, a two-time F1 champion, has claimed McLaren driver Lando Norris is "on the same level as Max Verstappen".
Norris has been recognised as one of the top talents in F1 over the past two seasons, consistently showcasing his abilities to extract the most from his machinery. He managed to outperform Daniel Ricciardo in 2022, resulting in McLaren's decision to replace the Australian driver for F1 2023.
Hakkinen regards Norris as one of the best drivers on the grid, alongside Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.
As McLaren struggled during the season-opening race in Bahrain last weekend and the team not being where they ideally would like, eyes are on Norris to see if he will continue through his contract with the team until the end of 2025 or leave early.
During an interview with Unibet International, Hakkinen explained:
“A very quick driver, he's achieved a lot, or rather he's shown convincing results consistently.
“He's super-talented, no question about it. He's on the same level as Leclerc, Verstappen and Sainz. He's on a very high level speed-wise.”
The Finnish driver is convinced that it will take McLaren "a few more years" to improve their performance and achieve success. He continued:
“I don't think McLaren has very high expectations this year.
“They know their development department, and their sponsors and partners are world-class technology giants. McLaren has their support but the team knows they aren't quite there yet. The result need a couple more years.
“They are in it for the long run and have good partners. Like I said, there might be some results this year but I think the true performance will be seen in a couple of years.”