Since debuting at the Australian Grand Prix in 2019, Lando Norris is an exciting young driver who continues to make great progress.

Behind the wheel of a McLaren, the 21-year-old is finally beginning to achieve the kind of success his obvious talent deserves, indicating that in the long-term, he could become the eventual successor to Lewis Hamilton as the king of British motor racing.

Norris concluded his maiden 2019 season by finishing 11th in the overall Drivers' Championship standings, then followed that up by climbing to 9th at the end of the 2020 campaign. Currently running at 3rd in the 2021 standings after five races, the young Briton is finally getting to demonstrate his true potential, aided by a car that is capable of competing well.

According to the latest 2021 F1 betting odds, Norris is valued at 250/1 to win the Drivers' Championship this season. While those odds clearly reflect what is likely an impossible challenge, it doesn't hold back the ambitious young driver from Bristol, who is eager to get plenty more podium finishes under his belt.

Prior to the 2021 season, Norris had only managed one podium finish. That came in the opening race of the 2020 campaign, when he jubilantly claimed 3rd position at the Austrian Grand Prix. The remainder of the season would be filled with challenging difficulties, although he did manage to regularly finish within the top five on six further occasions.

Nevertheless, the 2021 season points to one of unprecedented success for Norris and McLaren, with the Woking outfit also leading the chasing pack of manufacturers, aiming to close the gap on both Mercedes and Red Bull. Having already achieved one podium finish this year, grabbing 3rd at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy, another soon followed at the Monaco Grand Prix.

"It's always a dream to be on the podium here, so it's extra special," Norris enthusiastically explained to Sky Sports after the race, delighted to be amongst climbing the podium at the iconic Monte Carlo venue. With two podium finishes in just five races of the 2021 F1 campaign, battling performances have also been a dream come true for his McLaren team.

There was even time for a what appeared to be a little in-team rivalry, when Norris waved at his McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo, as he lapped the Australian driver. Although that might just have been a gesture of thanks from Norris, as Ricciardo moved aside to let his colleague overtake, it clearly wasn't a pleasant moment for the experienced 31-year-old.

"It was quite a miserable weekend, just one to forget from my side," the Australian lamented in comments to the official F1 website. Finishing 12th and one lap behind made the race at Monaco "one to forget" for him, albeit with the acknowledgement that, for his team and Norris, it had been an entirely positive weekend.

Ricciardo will now be looking to improve ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, having struggled to find his pace in the MCL35M car of McLaren. Meanwhile, the sky seems quite literally be the limit for Norris, who undoubtedly now has a thirst for more podium finishes. As the leading candidate for third in the Drivers' Championship, he will be eager for more success in the coming races.