Lando Norris’s observation in Suzuka on Thursday that McLaren are “literally the only team that has two good drivers at the minute” felt for a second as if it might be seriously contentious. What was Norris saying exactly? Was he suggesting that Lewis Hamilton was a spent force? That Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon are also-rans?
Luckily for Norris (unless his intention was to cause controversy), he went on to clarify that statement, saying what he meant was McLaren are the only team who have “two drivers who understand their teams and have been at their teams for a long time”.
“Lewis is new to the Ferrari,” Norris added, referring specifically to the seven-time world champion who, lest we forget, stated boldly at the start of the season that he and team-mate Charles Leclerc were “probably the strongest pairing F1 has ever had”.
Norris added: “He openly says he is [still] learning how to use the steering wheel – the complexity of it, not just how to use one. Is he going to be able to get every last bit out of it like me and Oscar [Piastri] can? No.”
It is worth bearing Norris’s comments in mind when we assess the start to Hamilton’s career at Ferrari.
It has been a difficult couple of race weekends for the 40-year-old. Hamilton struggled to get to grips with the SF25 in Melbourne, losing any confidence he had built up over the course of the weekend when the rain came down heavily on the Sunday.
Then, after winning the sprint in Shanghai to get his career in red up and running, Hamilton and Ferrari went off in the wrong direction and he struggled again in the main race – which then ended in farce anyway when both he and team-mate Leclerc were disqualified for technical issues.
One can well imagine how miffed he would have been about that error. But one can also imagine how sensitive Hamilton would be to any suggestion that he was furious with his team for committing it.
He is still only two races into his Ferrari career. He is desperately trying to build friendships and trust. It is why he was so irked post-Melbourne by suggestions that he was angry with
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