'You cannot manufacture a miracle' - David Coulthard offers crucial Lando Norris verdict

David Coulthard has given a crucial verdict on Lando Norris, believing the McLaren driver has "clearly" showed himself to be an "exceptional" driver.

Norris claimed his first four grand prix victories in 2024, including in the Abu Dhabi finale to help land McLaren its first constructors' title since 1998 as he also emerged as a drivers' title contender for the first time. 

Ultimately, Max Verstappen's experience in fighting for titles proved too much for Norris, who did make some mistakes, such as in Brazil when he finished sixth as Verstappen stormed to one of the best wins of his career to all but end the title race.

Norris is about to enter the seventh season of his grand prix career, aged 25, with Coulthard, who was appearing on the RacingNews365 podcast, believing the younger Briton has reached the right level of experience and maturity to deliver.

"If I look back on my career, and I'm definitely not putting myself as one of the greats of the sport, but I had a fair crack at it," Coulthard told the RacingNews365 podcast, which is released on Monday 10th March.

"I had some good team-mates and big competitors, and I started at 23, and I think I was 30 when I really started to feel complete in terms of experience, not of just driving a grand prix car, but in life.

"That enables you to make better decisions, and be more considered, there is no substitute for that, and you either have the speed or you don't.

"I don't think you can manufacture a miracle, and to take a line from a Robbie Williams song, they're all good, but we are looking for exceptional - and clearly Lando has shown himself to be exceptionally fast. 

"Whether the overall package of consistency and maturity and the feelings he feels he took out of last year manifest themselves into a bigger and stronger season, I would expect yes, because I've got no reason to believe he's not going to continue to improve in the way that all people do. 

"That is the point at which you should stop is when you feel you are not improving and certainly for me in my journey, going into my last pre-season, I just didn't feel that there were any more stones to unturn after 14 seasons of trying everything physically, mentally, and understanding how to work with the team. 

It is about being more efficient in all the aspects of what it takes to be a good grand prix driver, but Lando is a long way away from that point of his career."

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