Lando Norris reveals honest take on F1 rival's title win: 'This is sick what is this?!'

Lando Norris

Lando Norris reveals honest take on F1 rival's title win: 'This is sick what is this?!'

Lando Norris was awestruck by Lewis Hamilton's 2008 title win

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 9 May 2026 22:42

2025 F1 world champion Lando Norris has opened up on F1 legend Lewis Hamilton's first world championship victory in 2008, revealing quite how awestruck he was by the moment.

Norris became the first British world champion since Hamilton last year, and has had the privilege of racing against and sharing the podium with the seven-time champion since he himself joined the grid back in 2019.

Hamilton is the most successful driver in F1 history, but his first title was arguably the hardest-fought title of his career.

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After coming off the back of championship heartbreak in his rookie season in 2007 where he became within just a point of the title, Hamilton and his McLaren team faced a fierce challenge from Ferrari in 2008.

Heading into the final race of the season at Brazilian GP, Hamilton held a seven-point lead over Felipe Massa, and just needed to finish fifth to be sure of the championship.

But a rain-hit race threw up chaos for the Brit. On lap 69, he ran wide into the corner, allowing Toro Rosso youngster Sebastian Vettel to overtake him for fifth position.

With Massa leading the race, Hamilton spent the final laps desperately trying to get back past Vettel and into the spot that would hand him championship glory. When Massa crossed the line, Hamilton was down in sixth, and the Ferrari team went crazy with celebrations, thinking their man had won the 2008 championship.

But little did they know that rounding the penultimate turn at the track, Toyota's Timo Glock was struggling for grip in the rain, and Hamilton took full advantage to fly past the German and into fifth, securing him the championship and leading to heartbreak for the Ferrari team and Brazilian crowd.

"This is the one where the commentators are going crazy," Norris said in a video alongside Arsenal footballer Declan Rice. "It’s raining, he’s effectively not won the championship until one corner to go where he passes Glock which is one of the most famous videos ever in F1.

Explaining the 2008 machine to Rice, Norris said: "This is Lewis' car, the one that crossed the line in Brazil and won him the championship. It's pretty nuts to think that this is it. If I could, I would steal this any day.

"This was my first year watching F1. This was my first year and I was like 'man this is sick, what is this?'"

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Hamilton builds on 2008 success

Following 2008, Hamilton faced five seasons without adding another championship, but a move to Mercedes in 2013 opened up more opportunities for the Brit.

When the 2014 regulation changes came into force, Mercedes were the dominant team on the grid, and Hamilton managed to claim six of the next seven world championships.

It means that he holds the joint-record for the number of world championships in F1 history alongside Michael Schumacher, but holds the outright all-time records for the number of race wins, pole positions and podiums in the series.

The British F1 legend now finds himself at Ferrari trying to add to his various record-breaking tallies, but faces stiff competition from Norris at McLaren and his former Mercedes team.

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F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Lando Norris