McLaren boss Zak Brown believes Lando Norris’ “raw talent” is unrivalled on the Formula 1 grid and believes he would top Max Verstappen in a “straight fight”.
The British driver took his long awaited first win in Miami recently, finally ending his wait to stand on the top step of the podium. For years Norris has been regarded as one of the sport’s quickest drivers, but he’s not always had the car to back up his talent.
He’s seen several of his compatriots and former team-mates enjoy race wins, but Verstappen has remained the dominant driver. The Red Bull star has claimed the last three world championships and is heavy favourite to land a fourth in what is one of the most outstanding cars of the modern era.
Brown has suggested that Norris could go toe-to-toe with the Dutchman if the pair were handed the same equipment, albeit he would expect the pair to have their fair share of squabbling.
He told Autosport : “I do think Lando can beat Max in a straight fight. I think it would be an awesome fight, I think many races would end in tears – for one or the other, or both. But I think as far as raw talent can be, I’ve not seen someone faster than Lando.
“I’m sure Max is just as fast, I’m sure some people will disagree and ultimately, we’ll never know until you see them in the same car. But, from everything I can see of Lando, I don’t see a faster racing driver out there. What’s exciting is Oscar [Piastri] can match him. As he gets more experience I think he’ll match him more often.”
Norris has previously been tipped as a team-mate for Verstappen in the future. Red Bull currently offer drivers the best chance of success, breaking numerous records and winning all but one of the races last season.
Whilst the current world champion is an outstanding driver many believe, if other leading lights had the chance to driver the Red Bull, they would be just as successful. Norris, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are among those to give Verstappen problems in recent years and Brown believes they could all be world champions.
He told F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast : “I don’t think you’re going to win without a star driver. It starts with the car. I always get asked whether it’s about the car or the driver. It’s both. At the moment I think six or seven drivers on the grid would become world champions in Red Bull.
“And as great as Max Verstappen is, he is one of the best drivers ever, I don’t think Max would win a title in any other car. What Max Verstappen is currently doing is very special. Also look at the difference with his team-mate Sergio Pérez, who is also an excellent driver.”
