Formula 1 has always been a sport where the fastest drivers have dominated, but the last decade has seen two drivers achieve almost unprecedented success.
Lewis Hamilton was sensational for years at Mercedes and Max Verstappen has taken that superiority to another level at Red Bull.
Speaking on DRS: De Race Show, former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde wanted to praise a driver who hasn’t had the chance to enjoy that level of success just yet.
The only man to end Verstappen’s winning streak in the last 23 races is Carlos Sainz.
That hasn’t been enough to save his seat at Ferrari but is putting him in a strong position to earn another seat in 2025.
However, Van der Garde has wanted to share how special he believes McLaren driver Lando Norris is.
The 24-year-old earned the 15 podium of his Formula 1 career in China after securing a fantastic Sprint Race pole position in tricky conditions.
He’s never had a race-winning car underneath him – despite Daniel Ricciardo’s unexpected win for the team at Monza in 2021 – but has consistently outperformed expectations.
Van der Garde does believe that there’s one aspect of Norris’s racecraft that he still needs to improve going forward.
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Giedo van der Garde believes Lando Norris is a ‘special’ talent
Heading to the Miami Grand Prix, Norris will be keen to avoid Pierre Gasly on track after their collision in 2022 ended his race.
He’s never had much luck in Miami after finishing 17 last season given the struggles McLaren were having with the car 12 months ago.
The team have kicked on brilliantly since then, giving Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri a car that can suddenly challenge for podiums on a consistent basis.
The Australian arrived in Formula 1 last year with a huge reputation and Norris has had to take his performances up a level to see him off as he did in China.
He out-qualified Piastri twice and his race pace was a level above the 23-year-old’s even before he suffered floor damage.
Giedo van der Garde was quick to point out how special Norris was and isn’t worried that he hasn’t won his first Grand Prix yet after more than 100 races.
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Lando Norris has all the qualities to be an elite Formula 1 driver
Talking about the 24-year-old, van der Garde said: “Look, we have seen it before a few years ago, it was also in Spa when he was also full of it and he was super strong in Q1, Q2 and Q3.
“Then I think it was a mistake [at the start] but he just has it somehow, in the rain he is something special, he brings out the best of himself but also of the car.
“And yes he drove another unparalleled lap there. That one lap before he had put it on pole position, it was taken away because he had gone over track limits in the last corner.
“And then he actually only had one lap to go, that was just fantastic to see.
“But it is a shame if you then…I mean he has so much talent. He is so good in that main race and what he shows there is also super good, but he succumbs a bit at the moment when there is really pressure for him when he has that pole position.
“He had a bad start, but outside there it is already happening and then he goes outside, he should have never have done that.”
Can Lando Norris win his first F1 race this season?
Van der Garde is right to point out how special Lando Norris is, but until he wins his first Formula 1 race, there will be some fans who doubt him.
To achieve the number of podium finishes that he has in a car that has never been the quickest on the grid and has rarely even been the best of the rest behind Red Bull is exceptional.
Even his ability to not just finish ahead of Sergio Perez in China but maintain a significant gap to the Mexican after the second safety car highlights his potential.
He might need a little bit of luck on his side to win a race in 2024 as Carlos Sainz might have snatched the only opportunity to capitalise on a Verstappen DNF this year.
However, regulation changes in 2026 might end up benefitting Norris and if they don’t, then Red Bull might come calling anyway…
The post ‘He has so much talent’: Giedo van der Garde raves about 24-year-old F1 star, he’s now ‘something special’ appeared first on F1 Oversteer.