Norris 'Not Ready Yet' For Championship Title According To Schumacher

Monday, 15 July 2024 at 14:00

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher asserted Lando Norris "is not ready yet" to become the World Champion.

McLaren driver Lando Norris already scored seven podiums in the 2024 season and was second in the Championship following the British Grand Prix.

While 2024 is clearly the 24-year-old's best season in his career so far, he currently has a car that he could achieve even more with, which is also why he was quite frustrated after each of the races during the European triple-header.

In fact, Norris could have and was on a trajectory to win every single one of the past four races, yet the victories always somehow slipped through his fingers.

The young Briton undoubtedly has the skill and the talent, so what might be wrong? Former F1 driver and a six-time Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher told Sky Sports Germany:

"No, Norris is not ready yet. But that could also be down to the structure. It could be that its engineer is not strong enough. That is always a very important reference person."

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The learning process and the experience are something that McLaren's CEO, Zak Brown, also recently discussed. He suggested that his driver is at a bit of a disadvantage compared to Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen, who have much more experience in fighting for race wins and Championships.

On the other hand, Brown believes Norris already has what it takes to win the Drivers' Championship. Schumacher added:

"You notice that he is now annoyed with himself, with the wrong decisions, and that he wants to grow from that. That's part of it. It's a learning process."

"As a driver, you usually go into the race with a good idea of what the tire is capable of. The team knows that, too. You have to give yourself information. And then you, as a driver, can make the decision."