Having seen the Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari naysayers, Lando Norris said he would have done the same thing in Hamilton’s position.

And while there has been plenty of debate over which Lewis Hamilton will take to the track in Ferrari red, Norris is expecting to face a motivated seven-time World Champion with a point to prove.

Norris on Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari: ‘Would probably do the same’

With his upcoming Ferrari move already sealed before the F1 2024 campaign, Hamilton went through quite the emotional rollercoaster in his final Mercedes season, going from returning to winning ways on home soil at Silverstone, to his alarming “definitely not fast anymore” self-assessment after qualifying in Qatar.

Hamilton lost the qualifying head-to-head 19-5 versus then Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who outscored Hamilton 245 points to 223, sparking a great deal of discussion over whether Hamilton remained at the peak of his powers.

And when asked in an appearance on ‘This Morning’ what it is going to be like seeing Hamilton in the Ferrari, his compatriot, McLaren’s Lando Norris, replied: “I mean, when I’m on track, it doesn’t make a difference, you know, he’s a competitor and he’s a guy I want to beat.

“It’s the same when you’re on track with anyone. There’s always guys you give extra metres to, and there’s guys that you know you can race well, and Lewis is one of those guys.

“So hopefully… I’m excited to race against him more this year. It’s always an honour to race against someone like him, and always something I’m excited for. And I want to prove myself.

“He obviously wants to prove himself, like he will continue to do and fight until he stops in Formula 1.”

What Norris and Hamilton share in common is that both drivers go into F1 2025 with title ambitions, Norris looking to reach the summit for the first time after taking the fight to Max Verstappen in F1 2024, while Hamilton is chasing a record eighth World Championship.

Hamilton will have his critics to silence in that mission, as he takes on the challenge of racing for Ferrari at age 40, but Norris is not one of those critics.

“It’s a cool story for him, you know, to go to Ferrari,” Norris continued. “After everything he’s achieved, I think it’s a cool step.

“A lot of people said maybe it’s not the right thing to do, and so forth. But, yeah, I would probably do the same if I was in his position, you know. So, it looks cool, it’s good. It’s an amazing story for him.

“And, yeah, I know he’s going to want to go there with a fresh mindset and show everyone that he’s still got the Lewis Hamilton he showed for many, many years prior.”

Hamilton partners Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, the Monegasque driver gearing up for his seventh season with the team, while Carlos Sainz has moved on to Williams to make room for Hamilton.