Former British F1 world champion lauds his compatriots on current grid: "Britain now has three of the best racing drivers in the world"

Former British F1 world champion Jackie Stewart feels British motorsport is in an amazing position right now. At the recent Autosport International show, Stewart touched on the heritage of racing in Britain that has grown over the years. More importantly, he talked about Britain now having 3 top drivers in F1.

He talked about how Lewis Hamilton is winning with Mercedes, a German team with headquarters in Britain. He also spoke about two young drivers, Lando Norris and George Russell. The two young drivers are in F1 at the moment and performing admirably. Lando Norris is with McLaren and has already achieved multiple podiums and a pole position for the team.

George Russell is a Mercedes driver now and if the car is working, would in all likelihood fight for the title. Jackie Stewart, talking about the British ecosystem of racing said:

“There’s a wonderful collection of people right now, and we’ve got now in Britain three of the best racing drivers in the world. You’ve got Lewis who’s been winning time after time after time with an, unfortunately, German car company but that German car company gets all of Formula 1 cars built in [Brackley and Brixworth], because Britain is the capital of technology of motorsport."

He added:

"So it’s changed, but our young British racing drivers today, I’d love one to win the World Championship this season. That would be fantastic.”

Lando Norris not too confident of an F1 title challenge soon

Lando Norris, however, is a bit skeptical of a title challenge in the short term. McLaren is the fifth fastest car on the grid and the young driver is not too sure that a title challenge is on the horizon. When discussing his current contract that ends in 2025, he told GQ magazine:

“With everything I’ve learned, maybe I could win a race, but I’m unlikely to win a championship until possibly that time. I know I need to be at the absolute top of my game in those years.”

George Russell, on the other hand, has placed himself firmly in a position where an immediate title challenge is not a delusion take. The Mercedes driver has shown that he can hang with the best of them as he beat Lewis Hamilton last season, the 2023 F1 season could see the youngster go one better if the car is up to the mark. The 2023 F1 season could see Russell fighting for the title and maybe a new British champion could be on the cards.