Norris & Hamilton in Heartwarming Social Media Exchange After ‘Great Driver’ Comment at Austrian GP

The Austrian GP race, last weekend, witnessed a rather heartwarming moment between the two British drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris.

During the early part of the race, Hamilton found himself stuck behind Norris for a handful of laps. The McLaren driver put up an incredible level of commitment in defending against the Mercedes duo for several laps before Hamilton finally managed to make the move over the straight between turn 3 and 4.

After passing the fellow British driver, the 7-time world champion commented on the rising young talent, Norris. “Such a great driver, Lando,” he said.

Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton exchange messages on social media

Norris shared the video on his Instagram story, with a brief message for Hamilton. “Respect for the words. Hopefully, many more battles to come,” Norris wrote.

Eventually, the Mercedes driver came across Norris’s Instagram story and opted to share it on his very own feed too. The 36-year-old further added a ‘fist-bumping’ emoji to acknowledge Norris’s comment.

Formula One F1 – Austrian Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria – July 4, 2021 McLaren’s Lando Norris celebrates after finishing in third place REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

The prospects of Hamilton securing yet another podium at the Red Bull Ring were shining bright last weekend. However, then arrived an unusual threat from his former team, McLaren.

Midway through the race, Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas, were fighting for P2. But, the time charts showed Norris lapping much faster than both the drivers, leaving Mercedes panicking.

Lando Norris’ move on Hamilton at the Austrian GP

Mercedes affirmed Norris‘s threat and urged Hamilton to let Bottas pass in order to save the Finn from Norris. Following the swap in position, Norris pulled off a stunning move on Hamilton around turn 6 and was all set to chase down Bottas.

Formula One F1 – Austrian Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria – July 4, 2021 McLaren’s Lando Norris during the race REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

However, the 21-year-old just couldn’t lap any faster than the other Mercedes, as he found himself stuck behind Bottas, with the gap being just over a second. This ended up being the case until the chequered flag, as Norris secured his third podium of the season.

The McLaren driver also managed to cross the triple-figure mark on the championship table and is now 3 points away from catching Sergio Perez. Hence, can Norris continue with the stellar 2021 show to secure his best-ever finish in an F1 season?

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