Mercedes pair George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are considered one of the strongest duos on the grid, but Red Bull’s Max Verstappen remains fight for world championship title
Two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi hailed Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as the best duo on the F1 grid, beating Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Norris and Piatri led McLaren to incredible progress in the second half of the season, scoring seven podiums and one sprint victory between them. The team is now Red Bull’s closest rival heading into the final part of the season.
This is an impressive turnaround from the start of the year, when Norris and Piatri were struggling at the back of the net. This led to Fittpaldi crowning the pair as the strongest duo on the grid, ahead of the Mercedes team of Hamilton and Russell.
Hamilton has of course won seven world championships, while Russell is considered a future champion. But Fittipaldi believes it is the two McLarens who are leading as teammates.
“I think what Verstappen is saying is that these are two incredibly fast young talents. For me, Piastri was a surprise, doing as well as he did in his first year in F1 . He’s great for the car, for the team,” he told Vegas Insider.
“I think he’s doing an incredible job. Lando Norris, we know his qualities and his talent. It’s proven. And I understand what Max is trying to say. That’s the best balance between equal motivations in a team.
“In a way it helps increase competitiveness. I’m sure the information Piastri gained from driving the McLaren to the limit and Norris both worked together. The engineers exchanged information . All of that will certainly improve McLaren’s performance.
“I remember when working with Ronnie Peterson, we established total transparency and we talked to each other, to Colin (Chapman ), with the group. And I think it makes a big difference when there is cooperation between drivers. It helps a lot.”
Fittipaldi believes the McLarens will be a tough test for champion Max Verstappen at this weekend’s American Grand Prix. Verstappen won the title, but Fittipaldi stresses that life in Austin It won’t be easy for you.
“I think the McLaren duo is a very good combination. I’m sure they will have difficulty on the track trying to pass each other. COTA is a very difficult track to get the most out of the car because there are many different types of corners,” he added.
“Some sections are very difficult to follow. If you miss the first one, you will miss the others. A very long straight road and very sharp braking. In my opinion, it is very difficult to tune the car correctly and optimize it for the track.
“And it’s the same with the driving. It’s a difficult track to drive on. It’s a demanding track. I can see that this year the McLarens will be very fast there. I think they’re close to being there.” as possible Red Bull’s biggest challenges. Verstappen still has a big advantage.”
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