Lando Norris, McLaren’s 19-year-old rookie, did not disguise his irritation on Thursday at being told by Lewis Hamilton that Formula One should be a “man’s sport”.

Ahead of Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, the five-time world champion argued that the highest level of motorsport needed to be more strenuous, to prevent youngsters from adapting to its demands with such ease.

Clearly, the comment cut little ice with Norris, the youngest British driver in F1 history. “I don’t know why he would say it now, and not when he first started,” he said, taking the remark as a slight against him and fellow British debutants George Russell and Alex Albon. “It must be targeted at me, George and Alex, because we’re the youngest in F1 and I’m not suffering perhaps as much as he thinks I should.

“I don’t think it’s intimidation, I just don’t know why he wouldn’t say it any other year. It’s much harder now than when he started in F1. He says he likes heavier steering. Well, he can ask his team to turn down the power steering if he wants. Like him, I think it would be cool to have manual gearboxes, too. So, I’m not sure what his reasoning is behind it.”