Norris and Russell join F1 100 club - how do they compare?

Lando Norris and George Russell: How do they compare upon reaching 100th Formula 1 Grand Prix? McLaren's Lando Norris and Mercedes' George Russell will race in Formula 1 for the 100th time in Austin as they compete to be the British motorsport's next superstar after Lewis Hamilton; Watch the United States Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1 By Adam Williams Last Updated: 18/10/23 11:58am Lando Norris and George Russell enter their 100th Grand Prix weekend at this week's United States Grand Prix As Lando Norris and George Russell head to their 100th Grand Prix weekend, Sky Sports F1 look back at what has been a hugely entertaining start to the careers of the young Brits. The pair came onto the grid as the next generation of British talent for when the great Lewis Hamilton retires, but now all three are competing at the front.While they have been on their own journeys, following in the steps of and filling Hamilton's boots are a recurring theme in both of their careers. Norris the shining light McLaren needed Lando Norris joined Mclaren in 2019, the first season they were able to consistently fight for points since 2014 Norris arrived at McLaren to help turn the 'GP2 engine' frowns into papaya-soaked serotonin hits, and his injection of youth, speed and star power was precisely what McLaren needed to lead their climb towards the front of the F1 pack, where they belong.McLaren were in a dark place in the late 2010s as they publicly fell out with their engine supplier Honda, with world champions Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso losing patience and leaving the sport entirely.While they were not struggling quite so much when it came to car competitiveness, a fresh-faced Lewis Hamilton walked into a political storm as McLaren imploded with Alonso and then team boss Ron Dennis grating and 'spy gate' scandals - like Norris, Hamilton was the young shining light that gave the team and the fans a reason to cheer and believe. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Craig Slater looks at the chances of Lando Norris leaving McLaren and how much it would cost a team to buy him Craig Slater looks at the chances of Lando Norris leaving McLaren and how much it would cost a team to buy him This experience for both Hamilton and Norris forced them to mature quickly - they have been the team leader despite the arrival of more experienced big names such as Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo, and they are better drivers for it.The other similarity to Hamilton that Norris has is his natural, quirky but genuine persona, engaging a global audience - he is a superstar by being himself.Hamilton was a superstar in the early stages of his career because of the barriers he broke and the people he spent time with, however, he didn't have the surroundings and confidence to be himself until he moved to Mercedes. Lando Norris' personality lends itself to him being a global superstar like Lewis Hamilton Norris, meanwhile, has entered F1 at a time where expressing your individuality is celebrated - thanks in a large part to Hamilton - which means that he can be his unreserved self, making him so appealing.While the car helped, Hamilton's ability to express himself arguably allowed him to unlock a new level of performance.The fact that Norris has done this earlier in his career than Hamilton may allow him to grow more quickly as an individual and as a racing driver in the next 100 races.Russell waiting in the wings for 'too long' George Russell drove for Williams in three seasons before making the step up to Mercedes Russell is impatient, he says he wants things "yesterday", and that is because he knows he has the ability to mix it with the very best and he has had to be patient for most of his career.Like Norris, he was quickly forced into a leadership position as the then Formula 2 champion joined struggling Williams alongside drivers that could not match his level - as much as he appreciated Williams, Russell quickly outgrew the team. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Mercedes driver George Russell took on the lie detector test - and you might be surprised by some of the results! Mercedes driver George Russell took on the lie detector test - and you might be surprised by some of the results! Russell maintains that he drove for Williams for "too long" - an assessment that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has since admitted.The reality is that Russell would normally have been in the car after one season, like Max Verstappen at Red Bull and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari - but Mercedes were going through a far from average period.As the Silver Arrows and Lewis Hamilton dominated F1, one of the winning formulas was the partnership between Hamilton and the reliable, diplomatic