Lando Norris has backed Lewis Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari despite the concerns of others ahead of his first appearance.
Hamilton is just a month away from making his Scuderia debut having completed a sensational move from Formula 1 rivals Mercedes.
He has arrived at the Italian driving giants boasting seven world title wins, a record he shares with former Ferrari star Michael Schumacher.
The 2025 season offers Hamilton the chance to win an historic eighth, although his teammate Charles Leclerc could offer stiff competition.
Reigning champion Max Verstappen will eye a fifth consecutive title at Red Bull whilst McLaren man Norris has an outside chance of glory.
It’s his seventh year on the grid with Hamilton and when he spoke on This Morning, he revealed he’s excited to face his fellow Brit again.
“When I’m on track, it doesn’t make a difference, he’s a competitor and a guy I want to beat,” Norris said on seeing Hamilton with Ferrari.
“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.
“I’m excited to race against him more this year, it’s always an honour to race against someone like him, always something I’m excited for.
“I want to prove myself, he obviously wants to prove himself like he’ll continue to do and fight until he stops in Formula 1.”
Despite his success, ex-F1 CEO Bernie Eccleston said Hamilton could still have ‘a lot of enemies’ at Ferrari in a critical assessment of the move.
David Coulthard also issued a warning about the ‘out of sorts’ driver, but Norris sees exactly why Hamilton made the move.
“It’s a cool story for him,” he said. “To go to Ferrari after everything he’s achieved, I think it’s a cool step.
“A lot of people have said maybe it’s not the right thing to do and so forth, but I would probably do the same if I was in his position.
“It looks cool, it’s an amazing story for him and 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.
“So, we’ll wait and see.”
New season team launches begin on Friday as fans await to see their liveries ahead of another dramatic year of racing.
For the first time since 2019, the Australian Grand Prix will host the opening race of the F1 calendar on March 14 to 16.
Australia is where Hamilton made his debut on the grid in 2007 and earned a third-place finish with McLaren.
The 40-year-old won his first world title the following year, so his first race for Ferrari being in Melbourne could be a good omen.