Mika Hakkinen claims Lando Norris’ ‘second win not too far away’ after incredibly close battle with Max Verstappen in Austria 

Lando Norris has been a constant threat to Max Verstappen this season.

Mika Hakkinen claims Lando Norris’ ‘second win not too far away’ after incredibly close battle with Max Verstappen in Austria 

Mika Hakkinen, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris (via IMAGO)

McLaren F1 driver, Lando Norris missed out on a potential win after a collision with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on lap 64 of the Austrian GP. The controversial crash compelled Norris to retire due to the damage to his car, while Verstappen finished the race in P5.

McLaren has been a formidable force this season, battling as equals to the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull while chasing their first title triumph since the 2008 season. The Papayas have been led by Lando Norris this campaign, who has scored 156 points and has been praised by many, including Mika Hakkinen.

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The former three-time F1 world champion, Mika Hakkinen is one of the greatest drivers in the history of F1 and McLaren. He won the championship with the team in two consecutive seasons between 1998 and 1999. The Finnish driver has hence spoken in favor of Norris, claiming that a second win for the Brit is not far away given his strong run of performances in 2024.

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He could have won in Spain and Austria, so in my opinion his second win of the season is not far away.
Mika Hakkinen via unibet

The 24-year-old currently stands second in the championship, trailing by 81 points to Max Verstappen, who has been faster than the Brit on numerous occasions. Norris will now try to avenge his team for the mishaps caused in Spielberg as F1 returns to Silverstone, the home race of McLaren and the British driver.

Lando Norris deems track limits rule as boring in F1

Lando Norris has objected to the rules regarding track limits in F1 claiming that such provisions risk making races boring for the drivers and their teams. Norris has also claimed that track limits around high-speed circuits cause major hindrances to drivers in terms of overtaking and maneuvering, which is a situation he has also faced in the past.

Lando Norris (via IMAGO)
Lando Norris (via IMAGO)
These sorts of things will avoid people racing. If you don't want us to race and don't want me to try and overtake and have a boring race, then you can have these rules.
Lando Norris via Autosport

Norris was forced to give a position back to Max Verstappen due to an overtake that pushed him over the track limits in Austria. It caused the 24-year-old to receive a five-second penalty as he had crossed the black and white lines three times before in the race. The British driver said that an incident as such made him lose half a second more in trying to let Verstappen pass, despite having no choice but to go around the outside as he locked up while braking around turn three.

Many drivers across the grid have criticized the current rules around track limit breaches. They have said that they have always added to a driver’s disadvantage while placing unnecessary constraints on racing. Up next is the British Grand Prix, in which the drivers will be looking to push right to the edge of the track limits to set faster lap times around the Silverstone circuit.

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