Lando Norris was a major player at the front of the field in the second half of the 2023 season. Norris repeatedly managed top-three finishes, earning seven across the year. Six of his podiums were in second place, five times behind Max Verstappen.

Norris is widely known to be good friends with Verstappen, often socializing with the champion off-track. In 2023, accusations spread on social media that Norris often failed to defend appropriately against Verstappen due to their friendship, which Norris has denied. The Briton says the claims are ridiculous, and a friendship should only motivate him to fight harder.

People on the outside are too quick to judge again why I wouldn’t [race Verstappen hard]. [They say], ‘ah it’s because he’s friends with Max’ and all of that stuff. Which couldn’t have anything less to do with it. If anything, it makes me want to beat someone more if I’m friends with them than if I’m not.

Lando Norris said, as reported by autosport.com

Norris had some great battles with Verstappen, most significantly at his home race at the British Grand Prix. Norris took the lead early at Silverstone, holding it until Verstappen easily caught up, soon passing him with a faster car.

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella reveals Lando Norris’s drive to win races

Lando Norris is hailed as one of the most talented drivers on the F1 grid. With a promising career with five years in McLaren, the Briton has earned multiple podiums. However, Norris has failed to ever win a race in F1, despite a successful career.

The 2023 brought Norris close, earning him second place six times in the year, coming close to a win in Singapore. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella revealed that Norris is hungry for victory, ready to compete for the podium’s top step with the right car.

Lando is in a phase of his career which he kind of feels the pressure of: ‘I want to win a race, I want to be there with the guys that I know I’m as good as and I see them winning races.

Andrea Stella said, as reported by PlanetF1

Norris has an impressive tally of podiums, earning thirteen across his five years, all with McLaren. The 24-year-old will go into the 2024 season with the tied record for most podium finishes without a win, a record shared by Nick Heidfeld.

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