Lando Norris says there’s “no reason why” Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton couldn’t win all the remaining races in 2020.
After a tricky first race in Austria, which saw him drop to fourth after a five-second penalty, the Briton has claimed two dominant victories in the second Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring and last time out in Hungary.
Furthermore, his Mercedes car appears as dominant as ever with Ferrari and Red Bull, at best, standing still compared to last year.
As a result, Norris believes Hamilton is more than capable of going on and clinching his seventh world title in commanding fashion.
“Do I expect Lewis to win every race? I see no reason why he would not be able to – unless something happens or he breaks down,” said the McLaren driver.
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“He is a better driver than [teammate Valtteri] Bottas and he has shown that over the past few years. On pure pace, if they both get off the line well, Lewis has an extremely high chance.
“He is pretty much racing only one other car on the grid, which is his teammate, so if he doesn’t finish first, he is probably going to finish second.”
Bottas is the only other driver to win a race, claiming the pre-mentioned season-opener in Spielberg, and though the past two rounds haven’t gone his way, he remains confident in his championship chances.
“I think my performance has been good,” the Finn was quoted by GPFans.
“There have been some unlucky events that have cost me a little bit, but performance-wise, I’m pleased. It’s a very encouraging start.
“I think I do have the pace this year to win the title, but obviously it’s an individual battle every single weekend, and everything needs to go right.
“It didn’t go right in Austria in the wet qualifying; it didn’t go right in Hungary because of the race start, but from each weekend, I’ve learned again massively.
“Going to Silverstone, I was on pole last year, so I’m confident going there,” he added.
“It’s a good track. I know Lewis is strong, no doubt. He is strong everywhere, but I also believe in my ability to be able to beat him, and that’s the big goal for me.”
And as for whether it is a straight fight between himself and Lewis for this year’s championship, Bottas acknowledged that is likely the case.
“At this point, based on two different tracks, we have been the best and sometimes with a big margin. That’s a fact,” he said.
“But you just never know how a season can go, and if we start thinking that way, that’s going to be a mistake from our side, so we’re going to continue to keep pushing.
“If you look at the future, I think if you ask anyone in the world, what would you predict [as to] how it’s going to be, yes, this one you would say is going to be between me and Lewis.
“But you just never know. It is Formula 1 and anything can change. For me, the main thing is to improve on my performance and beating my team-mate and everyone else on track.”