Martin Brundle believes that 24-year-old F1 driver was simply ‘outstanding’ this year

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Martin Brundle has admitted that the way McLaren driver Lando Norris finished the 2023 Formula 1 season was simply outstanding.

Brundle was raving about the McLaren pair during the Sky Sports F1 Review Show.

At the start of the season, Zak Brown would have been panicking about where his team might end up at the end of the year.

McLaren arguably had the slowest car on the grid and were being left behind by their normal rivals.

However, they absolutely nailed their upgrades throughout the season, with every tweak they made looking like it was immediately making the car faster.

Oscar Piastri was the best rookie in Formula 1 this year, picking up a Sprint Race win and nearly breaking the 100-point barrier.

Martin Brundle believes that the Australian’s presence in the team pushed Lando Norris to new levels and he was outstanding as the campaign ended.

His drive in Mexico City might not have earned him one of his seven podiums but the way he carved through the grid was unbelievable.

He must be desperate to earn his first Formula 1 win after matching Nick Heidfeld’s podium record without a victory.

Were it not for an incredibly dominant Max Verstappen, he would have surely stood on the top step of the rostrum by now.

Brundle hails ‘outstanding’ Norris

Speaking about the McLaren pair, Brundle said: “Oscar Piastri has really sharpened Lando Norris up. They’ve had to get on with it a little bit because Piastri’s turned up as a rookie delivering the high speeds through the really challenging corners.

“Delivering some amazing results and making some rookie errors as well, but I think that’s really driven both drivers on and was probably just what Lando needed.

“I think in the second half of the season, Lando Norris has been outstanding.”

There’s a sense now that McLaren have to find a way to deliver a car that can go from regularly challenging for podiums to fighting with Red Bull for wins.

Piastri still has plenty to learn, but a rookie hasn’t arrived on the grid with as much speed as the Australian for some time.

In Norris, he has an outstanding role model and a driver that as Brundle suggests is only going to continue improving and requires a strong teammate to get the best out of him.

It’s an exciting time to be a McLaren fan and the anticipation for what they can achieve in 2024 is going to increase over the winter break.