McLaren Driver Labeled 'Extreme Talent' By F1 World Champion Jenson Button

Thursday, 11 January 2024 at 09:00

Formula One World Champion Jenson Button labeled the 24-year-old McLaren driver "extreme talent."

Former F1 driver Jenson Button raced in Formula One for 18 years. Throughout this time, he had the opportunity to race alongside multiple World Champions like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, for example.

Being a World Champion himself and having worked with such incredible drivers, Button is pretty qualified to identify young talent.

In his recent interview with Sky Sports, he revealed he believes Lando Norris to be extremely talented. He explained he had the chance to observe him ever since his first Free Practice session in F1 as he told Sky Sports:

"Lando is an extreme talent, he really is. I’ve watched him since the first time he turned an F1 steering wheel, which was in Hungary because I was racing for the team at the time. And it’s amazing how quickly he got to grips with it."

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The 24-year-old driver got 2023 his first "real" opportunity to show what he's got due to significant improvements in McLaren's performance.

Many suspected that Norris was one of the best on the grid, but by collecting eight podiums in 2023 with a couple of superb performances, Norris confirmed the suspicions.

Both Max Verstappen and the former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan revealed they would love to have the British driver on their team in 2024 if they owned one.

Norris has been praised from all directions after his 2023 season. However, he is not only missing his first Championship, he is also still waiting for his first race win.

The 24-year-old stated he believes his first Grand Prix victory will be with McLaren as it will be next season. The Papaya team is in a much better place than it has been in the last five years.

McLaren's CEO hinted he felt quite confident about the 2024 season with the team's current progress, facilities, infrastructure, and the best driver lineup on the grid. Could we see Norris's first win this year?