Lando Norris topples Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna for new McLaren record

McLaren

Norris topples Alonso, Hamilton, Prost and Senna for new McLaren record

None of McLaren's famous champions were able to achieve what Norris has

Sam Hall

Tuesday 20 July 2021 12:44

Lewis Hamilton, Mika Hakkinen, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Fernando Alonso have been put in the shade by Lando Norris after he secured an all-time record for McLaren at the British Grand Prix.

In finishing fourth at Silverstone, Norris extended an incredible point-scoring streak that stretches back to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix last year.

Since previously failing to score in last season's Portuguese Grand Prix, Norris has completed 15 races in the points - a new best for any McLaren driver.

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The previous record was held by Alonso, his total matching his race number of 14. That tally was registered in 2007 from the season opener in Australia through to the Belgian Grand Prix before a retirement in the following race in Japan halted his run.

In that year, had the points system been as it is now rather than only rewarding the top eight, Hamilton would have been level with Norris on 15, but a ninth-place finish at the Nürburgring ended his run at nine.

Hamilton's best for the team was 10, a total accumulated across two seasons from the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix through to the 2011 Monaco race prior to retiring in Canada.

Jenson Button was also able to reach double figures on two occasions, between the Hungarian and Australian Grands Prix across 2011 and '12 and between the Brazilian and European [Valencia] races from the end of 2010 into '11.

In years where only the top six scored points and reliability was far from what it is today, perhaps the most impressive record still belongs to Mika Hakkinen.

In 2000, the Finn scored in 12 consecutive races until retirement in Japan, and until Alonso registered his 14 in 2007, this was the benchmark for the team.

Legends of the sport Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost both failed to reach 10 even in the years of dominance enjoyed by the team.

Senna's best would have been 13 if the current points system had been in place in 1988, but with only the top-six scoring in his era, he had to settle for eight.

Prost went one better on nine, and on three occasions, with each run stopped by retirement.