Carlos Sainz says Lando Norris has "unbelievable talent" as Alex Albon hails title composure

Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon have detailed McLaren’s progress since racing in opposition to the Briton as team-mates and within the junior classes.

Norris heads into the season finale in Abu Dhabi main the championship by 12 factors over Max Verstappen. Norris’s McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri trails the Dutchman by 4 factors in third.

Sainz drove alongside Norris at McLaren in 2019 and 2020 earlier than the Spanish driver moved to Ferrari in 2021. Whereas Sainz defined he at all times knew Norris had “unbelievable talent to drive the automobile on the restrict,” he has seen him develop right into a extra constant driver.

“I believe on the time, clearly what I noticed instantly from Lando was an unbelievable talent to drive the automobile on the restrict and put collectively actually good qualifying laps,” he advised the media in Abu Dhabi.

“Once more, I have been team-mates with Charles, with Max, Lando. I have been team-mates with all the highest guys on the grid by now, and I can inform you Lando has nothing left in his tank when it comes to velocity.

“I believe his velocity is as fast as anybody and faster even than anybody on his good day. I believe what he is developed probably the most is that consistency by the yr, being sturdy on tracks that possibly he wasn’t that sturdy in his first couple of years versus me.

“And now after I have a look at his driving and the way sturdy he’s in every single place, he is developed that talent that comes with extra expertise, which is to be fast in each circumstance, at each monitor, and now he is extra of an all-rounder for positive than what he was within the first few years.

James Vowles, Group Principal of Williams, Carlos Sainz, Williams FW47, Alex Albon, Williams FW47

Picture by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs

“However I do not assume he is any faster than these two years. Whenever you arrive in F1, you are as fast as you may get, after which it is all about growing the abilities of the best way to be fast in each kind of nook or in each kind of monitor.”

Sainz’s team-mate Albon famous how Norris has mentally dealt with the stress of being in his first title combat.

“It has been actually spectacular to see how Lando’s dealt with this the second half of the yr,” Albon stated. “I believe he is made virtually zero errors for probably the most half and appears to be displaying his price.

“I believe he is been coping with the stress nicely, and to my eyes at the very least, he appears fairly relaxed proper now. I do not see him that tense. He is a distinct era to me. He is a few years youthful than I’m, so I’ve by no means seen him in that sort of championship combat within the junior classes, as an example.

“However yeah, in some ways, I really feel like he hasn’t had that occur too many occasions. Perhaps I am flawed in saying that. However he is both dominated the championship or he is not had that combat in the direction of the top. However what higher approach to do it than your first world championship?”

Images from Abu Dhabi GP – Thursday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing