Lando Norris is at ‘same level’ as Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and more, claims Mika Hakkinen

Lando Norris has received high praise from two-time Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen.

Norris is currently in his fifth season in F1, with all of them coming as a McLaren driver. He's considered one of the bringest young talents on the F1 grid, having won the European F3 Championship before finishing as the runner-up to George Russell in F2.

The Brit has registered six podium finishes to date, though he's yet to win a Grand Prix. With McLaren struggling for pace in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, it remains to be seen if Norris can break the duck in 2023.

Former Formula 1 driver Hakkinen, who won the world championship in 1998 and 1999, believes that Norris, despite not having won a F1 race to date, is just as good as Scuderia Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, or even two-time reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen.

He said (via nl.motorsport):

"He is a very fast, but still young driver. He has already achieved a lot and consistently shows convincing results. He is incredibly talented, that is for sure. He is on the same level as Charles Leclerc , Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz . He can accelerate well."

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"They just come up with an opinion that creates controversy" - Lando Norris brushes aside Jenson Button's criticism

After former F1 champion Jenson Button admitted to being "surprised" by Lando Norris extending his McLaren contract until 2025, Norris has defended his decision to extend his stay with the team.

Responding to Button's comments, Norris stated that while he respects the opinions of others, he has full faith in the team's capabilities and expressed no regret in signing a contract extension.

He said:

“I respect people’s opinions – particularly Jenson’s because he has been through a lot of these times – so I take it all on board. I don’t ignore it, I get what he is saying a little bit. But if someone says c**p about me, then cool I will laugh about it and move on. Big deal.”

He added:

“A few years ago I probably would have taken it a bit more to heart. I am doing the best I can, but most people who make these comments are people that don’t just have knowledge of what the facts are. They just come up with an opinion that creates controversy.”