Billy Monger and Lando Norris grew up racing each other in junior series but that doesn’t mean Formula 1’s newest race winner isn’t capable of leaving him surprised with his racing style.
The Miami Grand Prix has produced two decent but not spectacular events since its inception in 2022, but the 2024 edition will live long in the memory of McLaren fans.
Billy Monger was covering the race for Channel 4 and was delighted for his former rival as he took the chequered flag in Florida.
Billy Monger shares what has surprised him about Lando Norris in Formula 1
Lando Norris is in his sixth season in Formula 1, but it’s easy to forget that while he was exceptionally quick as a youngster, he wasn’t as dominant as other drivers such as his teammate Oscar Piastri.
While he won the likes of Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and the Toyota Racing Series, he rose up the ranks among one of the strongest groups of drivers on his way to Formula 1.
He was victorious in Formula 3 against the likes of Guanyu Zhou, Mick Schumacher and Felipe Drugovich.
However, at F2 level, he was defeated by George Russell but only spent one full season at that level before McLaren promoted him to Formula 1.
Monger and Norris raced against each other in 2014 in the Ginetta Junior Championship but 10 years later, Monger is still surprised by some aspects of the British driver’s rise to F1.
Norris only came third in that championship that year and while he moved on the following year, Monger carried on at that level for another season.
A huge accident in 2017 meant Monger had both legs amputated, but that didn’t stop him from winning in the Euroformula Open Championship two years later in a field containing Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.
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Lando Norris going from strength to strength in Formula 1
Talking about the 24-year-old Brit, Monger said: “I think Lando [Norris] from the start, he always had that natural, raw talent.
“And I think as soon as he got to Formula 1, that raw talent was there to be seen.
“I’m a little bit surprised at the way he’s been able to refine it and I think for me he’s become the sort of full package driver, one that I look to for the next few years of Formula 1 and think, he’s got to have at least multiple world championships on his belt at the end of his career.
“If he hasn’t got multiple world championships at the end of his career, I think he’d be disappointed.”
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Lando Norris could finally challenge for his first F1 championship in 2024
Nobody in the world of Formula 1 – including Monger – will be surprised that Norris has finally earned his first race win.
Max Verstappen was delighted for his long-time rival and Lewis Hamilton gave Norris a word of advice after the race.
However, McLaren proved in Miami that they are now serious contenders to win more races this season as Norris drove off into the distance ahead of Verstappen.
Norris is now level of points with Carlos Sainz and only 15 points behind his teammate Charles Leclerc.
The Spaniard missed a race in Saudi Arabia and while the gap towards Verstappen is already 53 points, Norris has to beat his best championship finish of 6 this year with the car he’s currently got.
The post ‘He’s got to have’: Billy Monger shares what’s left him a ‘little bit surprised’ by Lando Norris in Formula 1 appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
