Lando Norris is undoubtedly blessed with immense racing talent. His performances in karting and the Junior Formula series prompted McLaren to consider signing the youngster. But the question remains how long will he stay with the Woking-based team?
McLaren has slipped from being a championship contender in the 2000s to being a midfield team. The team do not fight regularly for podiums or wins, something Norris is keen to accomplish.
With the McLaren MCL60 showing struggling signs, Norris might consider approaches from top teams like Red Bull and Mercedes. And the youngster might follow Lewis Hamilton’s path of leaving McLaren in order to chase glory.
Former F1 driver turned Pundit Karun Chandhok believes Lando Norris could become impatient with McLaren if they have a lacklustre performance in 2022. And he would be peeking at Hamilton’s situation keenly.
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Chandhok believes Lando is on the way out of McLaren
Chandhok feels Lando Norris could be the next in line to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. The Briton completed a winless 2022 season and is seemingly frustrated with Mercedes. And if things continue, Lewis might consider retiring.
Chandhok believes Hamilton’s reluctance to sign a new deal with Mercedes is a clear signal. And if that’s the case, Lando might be the
Chandhok claims that Norris would be the number 1 pick if Lewis decides halfway through the 2023 season that he wants to retire.
However, Norris has previously received interest from Red Bull, Christian Horner confirmed he was in talks with the team until he signed a new contract with McLaren. This means he is also on the radar of Mercedes’ biggest rival.
A major issue would also be Lando’s new contract. He signed an extension With McLaren until the end of the 2025 Season. The Driver is reported to earn $95 Million. This means for Toto Wolff to bring him to Mercedes, he might have to force a payout of his contract.
Chandhok added, “For him to be extracted out of the McLaren contract is going to cost Toto and Mercedes. Whereas if he was a free agent at the end of this year it would be a free deal. It’s harder.”
Lando Norris might follow Lewis Hamilton’s footsteps
Like Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton was signed early by McLaren. After winning the 2006 GP2 series, Lewis was promoted to McLaren’s F1 seat alongside Fernando Alonso.
Lewis immediately made an impact and was a championship contender in his debut season. He would win his 1st World Championship in 2008 with McLaren.
But when the team’s performances started to decline, Hamilton chose to jump ship to Mercedes in 2013. There he would win another 6 F1 Championships and cement his name as the greatest of all time.
Lando has claimed 6 podiums for the team since joining. He was promised a race-winning car, but since then McLaren has failed to deliver on their promise. This could leave Lando concerned as he is about to hit his peak.
Further, the MCL60 did not look promising based on the Pre-season test performances. McLaren seems to be lacking the pace to compete with Aston Martin and Alpine in the midfield. The 23-year-old will have to decide on his future soon.
