Mercedes’ championship leader Lewis Hamilton has praised McLaren’s impressive 2019 performance after “some really tough years”, describing his former team’s revival as “amazing”.

Hamilton was supported by McLaren from his karting days all the way through to his sensational F1 debut with the team in 2007. After narrowly missing out on the championship that year, he claimed his first F1 title with the Woking-based squad in 2008, going on to drive four more seasons with the team until his shock announcement that he would leave to join Mercedes at the end of 2012.

Hamilton’s departure coincided with a downturn in form for McLaren. But with the team currently a comfortable fourth in the constructors’ championship – which would represent their best finishing position since 2012 if they could remain there – Hamilton was full of praise for his old team’s resurgence.

“It’s amazing to see McLaren doing so well,” he said. “They’ve had some really tough years.”

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Hamilton also made a point of complimenting McLaren’s rookie sensation Lando Norris and his rapid rise to form in his debut season, with the young Brit having started the last four Grands Prix in the top eight, and currently sitting ninth in the drivers’ standings, between Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo.

“We got to have a bit of a race [in Austria] and just watching Lando’s progression is incredibly impressive,” said Hamilton. ”To be so young in such an early phase, he’s coming in and keeping a level head and delivering on weekends, also up against [Carlos Sainz] who’s got more experience than him.”