George Russell and Lando Norris, two of his ‘extremely brilliant’ fellow British Formula One competitors, have received high praise from Sir Lewis Hamilton.
Over 480,000 spectators are anticipated to attend the four-day British Grand Prix, which is F1’s home race this weekend at Silverstone.
The most skilled drivers on the 2023 grid include Hamilton, Russell, and Norris. While Max Verstappen is predicted to win once more, there is a significant probability that one of the Mercedes drivers will finish on the podium.
The last British driver to finish on the podium at his home race was David Coulthard in 2000, despite the fact that Hamilton is the most successful British driver in the history of the sport and has won a record eight times at Silverstone.
But the seven-time world champion is sure the future is in safe hands, saying: ‘It’s not passing the baton, but knowing we have other great British drivers will prolong the success of the Brits moving forwards.
‘Our fan base will always have good drivers [to cheer for] because we generally develop good drivers in the UK. George and Lando are both incredibly talented and have such a bright future ahead of them.
‘It’s crazy to think they are as young as they are. Lando is 23 but has been here for ages. I’m excited to watch their journey and where they get to.’
Despite only placing in the top three once this season, Russell is currently 34 points behind teammate Hamilton in the standings. Norris has yet to finish on the podium in 2023 but did get fourth at the most recent race in Austria, where McLaren was making significant strides.
The latter has recently spoken out about the impact Hamilton has had on his career so far, saying: ‘I have so much respect for him and what he’s been able to achieve in F1.
‘He’s part of the reason I’m an F1 driver, so it’s weird thinking I’m now racing against him.’
As mentioned, Hamilton holds the record for the most British Grand Prix wins and is by far and away the most successful driver in Silverstone’s history.
The 38-year-old stands far ahead of the next two drivers, Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen, with 312 points from his 17 home races (using the current scoring system).