Lando Norris: I’m not Lewis Hamilton still

British McLaren driver Lando Norris is one of the most exciting rising stars of F1. The 22-year-old had one of his strongest seasons so far, particularly during the first half of F1 2021. He was even voted the most popular driver on the grid, second only to Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, according to a recent F1 survey.

Although the young talent has surpassed seven-time WDC winner Lewis Hamilton in terms of popularity according to the survey, Norris believes he is still far from matching the seven-time WDC’s (World Drivers’ Champion) on track.

Here’s what the young Brit had to say about Lewis Hamilton, as reported by ESPN:

“I’m not Lewis Hamilton still. I’m not a seven-time world champion and known for many other things like he is. He’s popular outside of Formula 1 as well. I wouldn’t say I’m anywhere near that level.”

Hamilton has demonstrated his respect and admiration towards Lando Norris on several occasions, applauding him for his hard work. He also acknowledged that he himself was not as young as Norris when he made his debut in F1.

The two sensational drivers, both representing Britain, have delivered some brilliant performances in the past and some thrilling battles against each other this season.

Lando Norris’ unmatched social media game

Lando Norris’ massive social media presence across platforms such as Twitch, Instagram and Twitter have undoubtedly contributed to the young driver’s unmatched popularity, especially amongst the younger generations.

With a whopping 4.4 million followers on Instagram and over a million followers on Twitter as well as Twitch, Norris has an extremely strong level of engagement with his fans. But it is his active presence on streaming platform Twitch that truly sets him apart.

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Through the use of social media, Norris has marketed himself as a bright, relatable, and light-hearted young racer. This, along with Netflix’s docu-drama series Drive to Survive, has played a massive role in humanizing F1 and bringing in a larger audience.