Norris rebuffs Hamilton's comments on young drivers

McLaren rookie Lando Norris felt personally targeted by Lewis Hamilton when the reigning world champion stated on Thursday that F1 should be "a man's sport".

Speaking ahead of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver lamented the sport's current lack of physical challenges, a state of affairs that has allowed teenage drivers to perform with relative ease at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Sitting on the other end of the press conference rostrum in Montreal on Thursday, Norris was attentive to Hamilton's words, especially as the Brit had asked the McLaren driver moments earlier how old he was before reacting in disbelief when Norris told him he just 19.

• Hamilton wants more physical F1 as 'youngsters have it quite easy'

However, the teenage charger was puzzled by Hamilton's remarks and what they inferred as far as he was concerned.

"I don’t know why he would say it now, and not when he first started," said Norris who felt negatively singled out along with fellow rookies George Russell and Alex Albon by Hamilton's comments.

"It must be targeted at me, George and Alex, because we’re the youngest in F1 and I’m not suffering perhaps as much as he thinks I should.

Norris was asked whether it was perhaps just a mere bout of intimidation on the part of F1's superstar.

"I don’t think it’s intimidation, I just don’t know why he wouldn’t say it any other year.

"It’s much harder now than when he started in F1. He says he likes heavier steering. Well, he can ask his team to turn down the power steering if he wants.

"Like him, I think it would be cool to have manual gearboxes, too. So, I’m not sure what his reasoning is behind it."

©McLaren

While there is certainly more to being successful in F1 than a driver's physical strength, Norris acknowledged that the latter was not among his top priorities, which perhaps provides a bit of food for Hamilton's thoughts.

"I don’t like going to the gym," added Norris.

"My biggest focus is the neck and endurance. I wear this ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ harness, with a resistance trainer pulling against it."

Norris is the latest exponent of a teenage crop of young F1 drivers from which Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll have also emerged.

Russell and Albon are 21 and 23 respectively while Hamilton was 22 when he burst on the scene with McLaren in 2007.

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