Lando Norris has changed his opinion on Lewis Hamilton amid his championship challenge this year.
Back in 2020, Norris played down Hamilton’s achievements after his fellow Briton had won a record-equalling seventh title.
When asked about the seven-time champion’s success, he told the BBC :“I’m just happy for him, nothing more. It doesn’t mean anything to me, really. He’s in a car which should win every race, basically.
“He has to beat one or two other drivers, that’s it. Fair play to him, he’s still doing the job he has to do.”
Lando Norris spoke on his respect for Lewis Hamilton at the F1 Movie Premiere
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However, when he spoke to journalist Kayla Gray on the red carpet of the F1 movie he had a significant shift in his response.
“What he’s achieved on [the track], first of all, that’s something I can’t even dream of,” he said in New York.
“One world championship would be cool, but he’s gone on and he’s got seven and he’s got a hundred wins.”
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In an interview last year, Norris said he wasn’t at the level of Hamilton or Max Verstappen as he kept making ‘little mistakes.’
It seems that Norris has more respect for Hamilton now he is in a position to win races and fight for the championship. In 2020 McLaren was not in that position.
Norris entered 2025 as the title favourite as he finished runner-up to Verstappen in 2024, and with Mclaren’s dominance, it seemed like a slam dunk year for the Briton.
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Lewis Hamilton is the last McLaren driver to win a championship
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It has not panned out that way for him though, as he sits 22 points behind his championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri.
After crashing out of the Canadian Grand Prix after contact with Piastri, Norris is falling further behind his team-mate. While 22 points is not an insurmountable margin, Norris would much rather be leading the championship than having to chase.
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Consistency has been the main issue for Norris this season, as he falters his bulletproof teammate is always around to pick up the pieces.
The McLaren star may have gained more respect for Hamilton now he is at the front of the field and facing the same pressures his countryman did, but he will need to gain consistency throughout the remaining races if he is to become his side's first champion since 2008.
Oscar Piastri is currently leading the drivers championship
ReutersIn the opinion of Sky Germany pundit Ralf Schumacher, Norris feels as if he is being ‘watched too closely’ at McLaren.
More so than Piastri, he’s receiving ‘constant’ tips over the radio, and Schumacher believes they should ‘just let him drive’ rather than placing more pressure on him.
Both Piastri and Norris will do battle against around the Red Bull Ring in Austria next week as the title fight moves closer to the summer break.
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