How does the writer use the comments of fellow f1 drivers to create a strong feeling of empathy?

100-time GP winner Hamilton insists Norris has ‘many wins ahead’ after McLaren man is denied maiden victory in Russia

The article in question appeared after the recent F1 race in Sochi, wherein late drama allowed for Lewis Hamilton to win his 100th grand prix. However, the young and upcoming talent Lando Norris led the entire race just until the last 3 laps. It was the heavy rain at the end of the grand prix that paved the way for Hamilton to get P1. This created a lot of disappointment for obvious reasons, as the crowds were hoping for Lando's first win ever. In the article, Hamilton was asked for a reaction on the matter. This reaction is used in the article to create a strong feeling of empathy, through showing the contrast of praise and him feeling bad for Norris. This conflict allows for the audience to feel empathetic towards Norris.

In the comment that is present in the article, an extract from an interview right after the race was utilized to show the reaction of Lewis Hamilton. This extract includes praise for the young Norris, which allows for the reader to respect and to an extent emphasize with Norris, but also Hamilton. Firstly, because Norris receives praise, it confirms to the reader that he did an amazing job. Thus, because he lost but still performed really well, it creates a conflict. This conflict is what gives the audience's empathy to Norris, as they are disappointed that he could not perform well, AND win. An example of this conflict would be that Hamilton first says "Yes, for sure", after being asked if he felt for Norris, but right after that he says that "He’s been doing a fantastic job, he did a fantastic job yesterday in the wet..." These 2 contrasting statement create a conflict that make the reader emphasize with Norris even more, as they would much more prefer 2 positive comments (like wining and performing well) instead of 2 contrasting comments, like in the example.