Norris and Russell look to emulate ‘inspirational’ Hamilton

McLaren’s Lando Norris and Williams driver George Russell hope to emulate the success achieved by Lewis Hamilton during his Formula 1 career. 

Rising British pair Russell and Norris finished first and second in Formula 2 before graduating to F1 this season with Williams and McLaren respectively, with both impressing during their rookie campaigns. 

Hamilton was crowned a six-time world champion at the United States Grand Prix to move into second place in the F1 record books, behind only Michael Schumacher’s all-time haul of seven world titles. 

Speaking about Hamilton’s achievements and impact on his own career, Norris said: “He’s a guy who I’ve always looked up to since I was young - a driver who I’ve loved to watch. 

“I’ve been very excited to watch a lot of his races since I started watching F1 when I was six or seven years old. 

“I’ve kind of not been on the journey but I’ve been able to watch a lot of the races and it gives a bit of… I wouldn’t say belief or faith but it gives a bit of confidence knowing that, or hoping to go into the future and emulate him in a way. 

“Some things aren’t going to be exactly the same; it’s not possible to do the same as other drivers, but there are a lot of things that he’s extremely good at and I would like to improve on and be as good as him on. 

“So yeah, he’s a guy and a driver who’s inspired me and who I’ve looked up to since I was very young.”

Russell spent much of 2018 attending races with Mercedes ahead of his graduation to F1 with Williams this year and admitted he was initially shocked by how much work Hamilton puts in behind the scenes.

“He’s definitely somebody who I’ve looked up to for a while, since I’ve been wanting to become a Formula 1 driver but especially in the last couple of years,” Russell explained. 

“I’ve gained a huge amount of respect for him, seeing him within the team. 

“I used to think he just relied on his natural talent to jump in the car and do the business but he puts a huge amount of effort in and the attention to detail he goes into is massive. 

“I did learn a lot from him in the years I spent with Mercedes, so yeah, I definitely respect and admire what he’s achieved.”