McLaren Chief Hails Racer Who Can Threaten Verstappen, Hamilton, Says He Is On Same 'Level'

F1 2021’s title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have a third driver to worry about – McLaren racer Lando Norris, who is on the same level as the duo, according to McLaren chief Zak Brown.

Norris has been one of the promising stars in this year’s F1 championship, having clinched four podium finishes and has climbed to fifth in the F1 2021 standings with 149 points, one less than Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in fourth place.

During the Russian Grand Prix, Norris secured his maiden pole position. While he failed to convert it into a victory, he finished the race with the fastest lap to his name, which was his first this season and overall, his career’s third-fastest lap.

"Lando first came on my radar in 2014. I think he can be counted among the best drivers now. He’s on the level of Verstappen and Hamilton. Maybe not in terms of experience, but definitely in terms of speed," Brown said in an interview with Dutch media outlet De Telegraaf.

Norris, who first joined McLaren as a junior driver in 2017, made his F1 debut two years later. He has so far claimed five podium finishes, out of which, four have come in the underway campaign. Norris earned points in the first 10 races of this year before suffering a retirement in Hungary.

Earlier this year, Norris opened up on how he believes he is on par with Verstappen and Hamilton and all he needs is a car that can take on the Red Bull and the Mercedes.

"I want to say yes but it doesn’t mean I’m just better than every driver on the grid or anything like that, I’m not saying that,” he said, when asked whether he thinks his recent form has shown he’s good enough to win a title. "I just feel like with how I have done this season I am driving at a level that is capable of winning races and maybe one day a world championship," Norris was quoted by PlanetF1, as saying in an interview.

With five races to go in F1 2021, Verstappen is 12 points clear at the top of the drivers' championship table.

"Maybe I’m not at the all-out level, but I feel I am doing a lot of things right and with some small improvements I can be a bit more confident in my answer. I’m at a level where I would say I could go up against Lewis or Max and – I’ve got to be careful how I say it, not say I could 100 per cent beat them – but I could give them a run for their money and I could give it a good effort," added Norris in the same interview.

The next race is scheduled to take place on Sunday (Nov. 7) in Mexico.