Both George Russell and Lando Norris will hit 100 races this weekend in F1…
But who’s been the better driver?
Take a short view of the past. In 2019, Russell and Norris both stood on the F1 grid for the first time as fresh-faced rookies. Russell was crowned the F2 champion in 2018 but Norris still put up a strong fight to challenge his British counterpart.
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Four years have passed since their first race. Russell has gone from struggling for points at Williams to challenging Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, while Norris has stayed loyal to McLaren.
However, who has had a better beginning to their career? It would be simple to claim Russell, the only race winner out of the duo and with a more competitive team, however, it’s certainly not that clean cut.
For example, although Russell has won a race before, Norris hasn’t been far from the opportunity. Making the mistake not to pit in the final laps of the 2021 Russian Grand Prix when rain began to fall, Norris was unlucky not to take his first win.
More recently, Norris was inches away from winning the Singapore Grand Prix finishing behind Carlos Sainz, holding off both Mercedes.
“He’s for sure one of the best drivers out there and it’s just a matter of time.”
Russell, who was behind Norris, also had the opportunity to win but made a small mistake and crashed.
Norris’ winless record is one of when rather than if and his high podium record recognises this. The Brit has 11 in total, with five of those being second-place finishes.
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This is a sentiment two-time world rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr agrees with who, in conversation with Sky Sports, said:
“He’s, for sure, one of the best drivers out there, and it is just a matter of time [before he takes victory], and I’m sure when it comes [the opportunity], he will grab it, and it will be great for him and all the fans.”
In comparison with Russell, this is especially impressive as he currently has only achieved 10 podium finishes. While one of those is a win, Mercedes has been more consistently competitive for podium positions than McLaren.
His first podium came with Williams after a sensational qualifying in a drenched Spa under difficult circumstances.
“Criticisms could be given if the race should have had a podium.”
In a frustrating day for fans and drivers, the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix was called off due to torrential rain.
Ultimately the right call, Russell finished on the podium for the first time in his career in an emotional moment for him and the team.
Wrong to say it was undeserved, criticisms could be given if the race should have had a podium. Also, if there had been a race, the likelihood that Russell would have kept that position is questioned.
However, Russell was quick to silence these qualms scoring 8 podiums in 2022 alone. The best of which came as a win in Brazil.
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Not only was it a win, but Russell beat his teammate and 7-time world champion to the line. Especially impressive due to Hamilton’s record around Sao Paulo.
Having ultimately a weaker 2023, scoring one podium at Barcelona so far, Russell beat Hamilton in the 2022 driver’s championship. Although already in discussion, Russell secured himself in the debate of possible future world champions in doing so.
“While relying on statistics can be considered foolish, it’s particularly hard in this instance due to their mixed experiences.”
While Norris has not had such a prestige teammate just yet, his record against Daniel Ricciardo shouldn’t go unnoticed. Defeating the Aussie in both 2021 and 2022 by some margin, he showed his strength against a well-regarded driver.
While Sainz beat Norris as his teammate in both 2019 and 2020, it would be harsh to judge Norris on this. The last McLaren driver to beat their teammate was Hamilton in 2007.
While relying on statistics can be considered foolish, it’s particularly hard in this instance due to their mixed experiences.
For example, Norris has more points than Russell but that can be discredited due to Russell’s stint at Williams. During his three seasons, the car was significantly slower than the rest of the grid.
“One would only think it’s a short time before both Russell and Norris have an opportunity to fight for the title.”
Stating Norris has been more successful based on overall points would be inconsiderate to the brilliance Russell often displayed with Williams.
Moreover, returning to their wins, one could argue Russell was unlucky after his nightmare at the Sahkir Grand Prix.
Pitting three times despite leading the majority of the race, Russell was unfortunate not to win his first race for Mercedes. Russell also barely fit in the car due to the specifications still for Hamilton who had fallen ill.
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Therefore, due to the stellar quality of both drivers over 100 races, it’s a matter of subjective opinion. As both line up to begin their 100th race, we should consider not who has been better but possibly the luck in which we are witnessing a golden age of F1 drivers.
Since the arrival of both and their earlier counterpart Charles Leclerc, who will be driving his 100th race for Ferrari this weekend, F1 has seen an astonishing arrival of talent.
While Max Verstappen and Hamilton have cleaned up the titles ever since, one would only think it’s a short time before both Russell and Norris have an opportunity to fight for the title.
With both teams and drivers performing nearly at the top level, still falling behind Red Bull, much anticipation should be had for the next 100 races for the pair which we can start in Austin.