As the crowd gathered at an event with Norris and McLaren CEO Zak Brown, which looked back at the Briton’s title-winning season at the Hammersmith Apollo, yelled back “eight” when talking about the Ferrari driver’s title tally, Norris conceded it “should have been eight”.

Lando Norris says Lewis Hamilton ‘should have eight’ titles

Four years on from the 2021 championship-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, emotions still run high regarding the events that ultimately decided that Max Verstappen was the sport’s new champion.

Verstappen and Hamilton lined up on the Yas Marina grid tied on points in a winner-takes-all scenario.

Hamilton led most of the race and appeared on course to win his eighth title when then-FIA race director Michael Masi restarted the race after a late Safety Car, but only allowed the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen, who had stopped for fresh tyres but remained P2 in the running order, to unlap themselves.

It was an unprecedented decision, and it created controversy as Verstappen, with his new tyres, easily swooped past Hamilton at Turn 5 to win the race and the title.

While Verstappen and Red Bull celebrated their success, Hamilton declared the race had “been manipulated” while his Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told Masi that “it was not right”.

Mercedes and Hamilton supporters also cried foul, with allegations that the driver had been robbed.

It’s a sentiment that still lingers four years later as Norris found out when he was speaking to fans during a recent promotional event alongside his McLaren team principal Zak Brown.

“It’s a different car, you know, he’s got more experience than basically everyone,” he said in the clip, which has circulated on social media.

“So, certainly, he’s not won seven world championships…”

The crowd was quick to pounce on that, yelling “eight” to the McLaren driver.