Karun Chandhok makes surprise ‘best driver’ claim

Latest F1 News

Chandhok makes surprise ‘best driver’ claim

It's not who you might think...

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 1 January 2024 18:57

Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok has made a surprise claim while talking about who he feels is the best driver on the grid.

He believes that Lando Norris is the best driver without a race victory, dismissing calls about Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri who has also never won a main race.

Norris put in some startling performances for McLaren last season, particularly during the second half of the year.

Article continues under video

Overall, he claimed seven podiums (including six second-place finishes) in a season that was so largely dominated by Max Verstappen and Red Bull.

The Brit managed to finish sixth in the drivers' championship but was just one point behind fourth placed Fernando Alonso.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri formed a brilliant partnership in 2023

Lando Norris found himself up on the podium on seven occasions in 2023

Karun Chandhok has become a fixture of Sky Sports' F1 coverage in recent years

No doubt about best driver

Now, Chandhok has spoke about the moment which impressed him the most about the 24-year-old in 2023.

"I think that's been the case for the last few years hasn't it? The best driver in F1 without a win," he told the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

"Yeah, there's no doubt about that particular stat, I think, you know, he had a few qualifying errors this year, we saw in Mexico, in Qatar, Abu Dhabi but, what was really impressive was he recovered from them.

"If you look at the race in Mexico, I personally think was the drive of the season, what he did on Sunday.

"Starting from the back of the grid, coming through the pack, there was no real luck involved just absolute pace and overtaking and a really well managed race, and he came through to get a solid haul of points from a pretty annoying qualifying error by his own admission."

Red Bull Max Verstappen McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Fernando Alonso