Motor racing-Norris expects to make mistakes in his debut F1 season

WOKING, England, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Lando Norris is ready to take the rough with the smooth as he gears up to become the youngest British driver to race in Formula One.

McLaren's 19-year-old rookie will be following in the footsteps of five-times world champion compatriot Lewis Hamilton, who made his debut with the team 12 years ago, when he starts in Australia next month.

Hamilton was on the podium from day one but Norris cannot expect such success at former champions who have fallen far from their glory days and are now in rebuilding mode.

"There's going to be things which I'm not going to be great at," the teenager told reporters at the launch of the new MCL34 car on Thursday. "There's going to be times when I make mistakes, 100 percent.

"There's going to be times when I do things wrong that no-one's going to like and everyone's going to think I'm terrible or rubbish or whatever. I'm going to go through those periods, I know."

Norris can take comfort, however, in the knowledge that McLaren are aware that their past record with young drivers -- Hamilton excepted -- has been far from impressive and are trying to address that.

Belgian predecessor Stoffel Vandoorne arrived full of promise and left in failure with many wondering where all that talent had gone to.

Mexican Sergio Perez was cast aside after one disappointing season at McLaren while Danish prospect Kevin Magnussen was similarly discarded.

"They've spent a lot of time reviewing what they don't think they've done well enough, or done right, and trying to help me in those areas," said Norris.

"Just like with the car, trying to understand better what was not good effectively.

"From what they say, the plan they've put in place is a much stronger and more efficient one than they have done before," he added.

Norris lives near to the factory and is a regular there, working with his mechanics and engineers and spending time in the simulator.

Proud to be the youngest, he said his aim was to "at least end the year a better driver than I started" and had no plans to let his status as a Formula One driver, lining up on the starting grid with Hamilton, go to his head.

Hamilton, he said, was someone he had always looked up to but who remained a distant figure.

"I shook his hand in Abu Dhabi but that’s about it. I don’t know him at all," he said.

"I haven’t rung up Lewis or anything, I don’t have his number. I haven’t gone out of my way to seek advice from people I don’t know."

A keen gamer, with a virtual racing set-up at home in Guildford, Norris was clear about his priorities.

"I enjoy simulator racing more than going out so you won’t see me out in London getting hammered too much," he smiled. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)