Ahead of this weekend`s British Grand Prix, we pose the question: who currently stands as the nation`s top Formula 1 driver?
For the past decade and more, this topic was hardly debated, with Lewis Hamilton dominating the sport. However, George Russell and Lando Norris are now entering the prime of their careers, while the seven-time world champion approaches the latter stages of his.
Russell has demonstrated his capability with his performances alongside Hamilton from 2022 to 2024 and appears to be continually improving, having taken on the role of Mercedes` lead driver.
Norris represents Britain`s strongest contender for a Drivers` Championship title this year and displayed his resilience just last weekend by securing a vital victory at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Hamilton has faced a challenging start since joining Ferrari. However, what better opportunity for the 40-year-old to showcase his enduring brilliance than at an event where he holds a record nine victories?
Journalists from Sky Sports have presented their arguments for why each of the three drivers should be considered Britain`s current best.
The Case for George Russell
Beyond just being the best Brit in F1 right now, George Russell might be the driver closest to matching the exceptional standard set by Max Verstappen.
He surpassed expectations by out-scoring Lewis Hamilton in two out of their three seasons as teammates and significantly outperformed the all-time great in qualifying during their final year together.
Russell seems to have embraced his role as the de facto team leader at Mercedes, consistently extracting the maximum performance from an inconsistent car. He has secured a victory and four additional podiums in the opening 11 rounds of the season.
He continues to live up to the `Mr Saturday` nickname earned during his time at Williams, demonstrating a clear ability to capitalize on any opportunity for a pole position or a high grid slot.
However, it`s on Sundays where he seems to have truly developed. Past occasional errors or lapses in concentration have, at least so far, been eradicated.
A victory at Silverstone could be exactly what Russell needs to catapult himself into the national stardom he seems destined for.
The Case for Lando Norris
If we are strictly addressing the question of “right now,” it`s hard to look past F1`s most recent race-winner, Lando Norris.
Norris received the joint second-highest rating from Sky Sports for the 2024 F1 season, alongside Charles Leclerc and trailing only world champion Max Verstappen.
Despite being widely perceived as having had a season marred by mistakes, particularly in high-pressure qualifying sessions, the 24-year-old is still only 15 points behind his highly-rated teammate, Oscar Piastri.
Norris faces a significantly tougher challenge in standing out against Piastri compared to Russell`s situation at Mercedes alongside Kimi Antonelli. Admittedly, Hamilton has the hardest task at Ferrari with Leclerc, but he hasn`t managed to get close to the Monegasque driver.
There`s a case to be made that Norris is the fastest of the British drivers. He achieved the joint-most pole positions in 2024, and his race pace is generally stronger than Piastri`s.
While his racing style is more cautious than Russell`s, he still possesses the aggression needed to attempt and execute impressive overtakes, such as his move on Piastri at Imola or reclaiming the lead from his teammate moments after being overtaken in Austria last weekend.
The Case for Lewis Hamilton
As the old saying goes, form is temporary, class is permanent. So, even at 40 years of age and halfway through a challenging first season at Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton should not be easily dismissed in this debate about the present, despite the impressive potential shown by his younger compatriots for 2025.
Naturally, there`s absolutely no question about who is the most successful driver among the leading Brits – that is clearly the seven-time champion Hamilton, and still by a significant margin, as his glittering resume demonstrates. Many consider him not just F1`s statistical GOAT but the greatest of all time across all sports.
His comparisons with Russell in their final season together at Mercedes, and so far against Charles Leclerc in his first at Ferrari, seem to favour the younger drivers (although Hamilton did edge out Russell on points overall across their three seasons as teammates). But Hamilton will be determined to prevent this recent trend from becoming a permanent fixture in the twilight years of his career. And who can definitively say it will?
Do these current cars simply not suit him, no matter what he tries? Will the 2026 rule changes swing things back in his favour, particularly once he is fully settled at Ferrari? Does he still have magic in reserve to unleash if and when the major prizes – regular wins, world titles – he was accustomed to competing for before 2022 become realistically achievable again?
Only time will truly tell, but even if he has lost a slight edge in outright pace or precision compared to his younger days – which, frankly, is likely inevitable for any driver racing into their late 30s or 40s – as a demanding race like Silverstone 2024 demonstrated, you still underestimate Lewis Hamilton at your absolute peril. He has the experience and the pedigree.
Marcus Prine