Norris responds to Hamilton: "It’s not like he was driving perfectly"

Lando Norris has had a very successful season so far, currently battling it out with Sergio Perez for third place in the championship. At the Austrian Grand Prix, he secured a podium finish after holding off Lewis Hamilton for almost twenty laps in the opening stages of the race. When the Mercedes driver finally caught up to him, he praised the young Briton on the radio.

The drivers fought for second place after Norris got a time penalty for an incident with Pérez. The McLaren driver fought tooth and nail to defend his place and was complimented by Hamilton when he finally managed to overtake him. Later, Norris reclaimed that spot and ended the race in third place.

Asked by Autosport.com Norris: "The whole first stint both Mercs were faster than me, that wasn't a surprise. But to hold them off as well as we did was a little bit of a surprise. It was the first time I've really raced against him."

In his own words, this has allowed the McLaren driver to study Hamilton's driving style quite a bit. "As much as I appreciate the kind words, it's not like he was driving perfectly. There were times when he went wide in Turn 1 or made a mistake in Turn 3. It's not that they're not raceable. If you have a good car and do well, you realize you have a chance against them," Norris said.