George Russell told why Lando Norris is everything Mercedes driver wishes he was

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George Russell and Lando Norris are two of the top British drivers in Formula 1 but, for Will Buxton, there are a collection of reasons why the McLaren star is the ‘new sheriff’.

For numerous seasons Lewis Hamilton has been the top name among British fans, who have been blessed with legendary home drivers since the earliest years of the championship. The United Kingdom has even seen 10 of its drivers win 20 titles throughout the first 75 editions.

Hamilton ranks head and shoulders clear of his compatriots for crowns with seven, ahead of Jackie Stewart (3), Jim Clark and Graham Hill (2). Yet Buxton thinks Norris is now coming for the joint record-holder’s status, thus he is becoming everything Russell wishes he was in F1.

Lando Norris is the ‘new sheriff’ over George Russell after reviving McLaren

Buxton believes Norris has surpassed Hamilton as the pick of the crowd at Silverstone as the 24-year-old has helped to revive McLaren. While Russell wishes he was the new favourite of the British Grand Prix faithful, racing for Mercedes following their dominance hindered him.

Hamilton took six of his seven Formula 1 titles with Mercedes between 2014 and 2020 with the Silver Arrows mastering the V6 turbo-hybrid power unit from the off. The Brackley outfit then dropped the ball at the re-introduction of ground-effect cars in 2022 as Russell arrived.

READ MORE: The best moments of Lewis Hamilton’s career in Formula 1

All the while McLaren were mired in the mid-pack and even often at the rear of the field due to the problems the Woking giants endured with Honda power units from 2015 to 2017. Yet Norris won this year’s Miami GP for only McLaren’s second win since the 2012 Brazilian GP.

Norris also helped McLaren seal a one-two finish behind Daniel Ricciardo at the Italian GP of 2021. Oscar Piastri winning the 2024 Hungarian GP in a papaya one-two proved McLaren are constructors’ championship contenders. Thus, making Norris the new sheriff for British fans.

“Lando is the rising star – young and exciting,” Buxton told Formule1. “Look, Lewis is in the hearts of the British fans and always will be. But there is a new sheriff. George would like it to be him but, realistically, it is Lando.

“He has so much charm and the British love an underdog. George is in a Mercedes. McLaren are a British team that have had hard times. The fact that a British driver brings a British team back to the top is, of course, a great story.”

McLaren will believe they can win their first constructors’ title since 1998

Hamilton left McLaren for Mercedes following the 2012 season, the Woking outfit’s last year as a genuine front-runner before 2024. The papaya team took seven wins in 2012 to achieve 182 all-time in Formula 1. Yet the next 11 terms only yielded Ricciardo’s 2021 win at Monza.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from height and parents to celebration

Now, the work that Norris has put in to help turn McLaren’s fortunes around since joining F1 in 2019 has them eying Red Bull’s constructor’s title. The Woking outfit last won the teams’ title in 1998, as well, when Mika Hakkinen sealed the Flying Finn’s first of two drivers’ titles.

Piastri and Norris taking P2 and P5 in the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix respectively saw McLaren close their deficit to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship to 42 points. They will come out of the summer break at the Dutch Grand Prix on August 25 believing they can get a title.