McLaren rookie Norris reins in initial bold target for 2019

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A month ago, McLaren rookie Lando Norris set himself a bold target for his maiden season of F1, but the 19-year-old has since put his expectations at a more reasonable level.

Queried back in December on his outlook for the season ahead, Norris said his goal would be to beat team mate Carlos Sainz in every session and at every race, a prospect he labeled himself as "unrealistic" in a case of shooting for the stars and hoping to hit the moon.

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While he'll do his best to measure up against the experienced and highly-rated Spaniard, Norris admitted that beating Sainz this year is unlikely, but learning from his team mate will be his priority.

"I need to do well and show I’m a worthy driver in F1," Norris said.

"I guess for every driver the aim is to beat their teammate. In the ideal world, if I was perfect, I’d be able to beat every teammate that I have, in every race.

"That’s very unlikely to happen, I’m not going to be in that situation. There’s things i’m going to need to learn from Carlos [Sainz] and different drivers and improve as a driver.

"There’s definitely going to be things that I’m not very good at, things I can improve."

Norris has therefore decided to rely on a mature common-sense approach for his debut season, but his long term ambition of reaching one day the stars still stands.

"Of course I want to be able to beat him in some races but it’s very unlikely someone will thrash their teammate every race," added the McLaren apprentice.

"It’s my learning year, first year of hopefully many. I want to do well but I need to learn and make progress to become a better driver.

"In the ideal world I will be able to do well and beat everyone in every race but that’s just a vision."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.