Damon Hill is convinced that Lando Norris has what it takes to become world champion. The McLaren F1 driver is still far from Max Verstappen in the standings, but his compatriot sees in him a desire to win and be the best.
“I think it has the necessary ingredients” the 1996 world champion told the F1 Explains podcast. “I think he has the qualities. I think he has that dissatisfaction with second place.”
“I read some comments he made over the summer break, when he said he wasn’t good enough at the start of the season. That’s a sign of someone who’s going to step up. to the test. He won’t just be good enough. He wants to be the best.”
The former driver does not exclude that Oscar Piastri could also one day have the level of a world champion, and he also salutes the talent of other young drivers: “Give Oscar a few more seasons, as much as Lando, and he will have learned a lot more.”
“He will look at his performances and realize that he didn’t have the necessary ingredients yet. He is still learning. He has the talent, that’s for sure, and he has the determination. I’m very impressed by Oscar.”
“I wouldn’t rule out George Russell. I think George is definitely a candidate. And Charles Leclerc is a typical Ferrari driver in many ways. It seems to me that with Charles it’s win or fail, but you can win a championship that way.”
The Briton explains that Norris has an advantage, that of being able to put pressure on Verstappen. We’ve already seen the Dutchman say he’s worried about the McLaren driver’s return, and Hill has been through this situation before.
“I think it’s better to have the advantage and protect it. You have nothing to lose if you’re in the lead, but at the same time you’re behind. So it’s always better to be in this position, to have these points In motorsport, there is tension. You cannot avoid it.
“So it’s the ability to manage tension, to manage pressure, but I think I’d rather have the lead than try to have it. Max has everything to lose. It was the same for me in 1996, as the gap narrowed towards the end of the season, and it can be an anxious time.”
“It’s much more difficult. At some point, you tell yourself that you’re winning, that you’re going to win. And of course, that’s the golden rule in all sports: don’t “It’s really about keeping your mind in the present and still having the same desire to compete until the flag drops or you get to the end of the season.”
Hill explains the difficulty of being a world title contender and having to balance attack and management: “If, for example, you find yourself in a situation where you could lose the championship if you don’t finish and you have a competitor, you have to take that into account because they could benefit if you don’t finish.
“There is a tactical consideration, but you should never think about the championship and try to calculate the points when you are racing because, at the end of the day, you know the score: you have to stay in the lead. If you score the more points, you will win the championship.”
“There may be times when you can concede the lead or victory in a race just to get the points you need to become world champion. You have to do calculations before the race to know the possible scenarios. You don’t want to be in a race trying to think about it.”
