Norris shrugs off Hamilton comparisons

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McLaren's rising star Lando Norris insists he's not paying much attention to the comparisons people are making between himself and four-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

A former McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner, Norris clinched the FIA European Formula 3 title in 2017. He's now on the brink of Formula 1 stardom after being signed as McLaren's test and development driver for 2018.

In the meantime he'll also be competing in Formula 2, just as Hamilton competed in GP2 in 2006. Hamilton won the title in his rookie season, and the following year was handed a McLaren race seat.

But Norris says it isn't helpful to draw such analogies between his career and that of the reigning world champion.

"It gives me a bit of motivation, but not a huge amount," Norris said. "It’s good maybe to think you’re along the same path and he made it to Formula 1.

"If I can kind of continue, maybe I can do the same. That’s a bit of motivation.

"But apart from that, I don’t really try to think and dwell on what everyone else says," he insisted.

"I’m only really doing it because I really enjoy it," he added. explaining that he wasn't forcing himself into a motorsport career for the sake of it.

"It’s not like I don’t enjoy it and I’m just good at it, therefore I can hopefully make a career out of it," he said. "I enjoy doing it, and that’s why I want to do it."

Norris officially named McLaren test and reserve driver

It's for that reason that Norris says he isn't following any sort of long-term career masterplan.

"I just try to focus on what I’m doing, make the most of working with the team," he insisted. "Getting to know everyone, then doing the best I can, hopefully winning, which then makes it even more fun to go out and do.

"I’d rather just try and focus on what I’m doing, try and win basically."

Hamilton's first season in F1 in 2007 saw him alongside Fernando Alonso. Norris is already getting a taste of that as he pairs up with the Spanish driver for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona this month.

"It's a good opportunity for me to learn from Fernando," Norris said earlier this month.

"I'd like to try to see what I can learn from him whenever I have the chance," he added. "There is going to be a competition about who will do a better job in the practice and in the race!"

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.